Being Human
by NicolaDarkness
Summary: Sequal to my story: High School Murders. Sometimes life can be tuff for us all, but what about if it is only you who is finding things hard? Stupid blood-suckers! Stupid Shifters! When did being human get this hard? Rated for dark themes
1. Confused dot com

**Chapter 1: **

Have you ever noticed just how annoying the real world can be?

"Hey. You okay?"

Voice of nosey people who only ask questions but don't really care. They only ask out o curiously.

"Did you see how hot he looks today? I would so do him!"

Irrelevant conversation and the titter-tatter that humans seem to use only because they have to converse with one another. Teenagers happen to be the worst of the species. Vulgar, rude, loud and ignorant.

Why, oh why do I have to associate myself with them? Why do I have to be so much like them?

"Nicola?" a familiar voice calls and I look towards its source.

"Oh. Good morning Gaara." I say as I take my seat in class.

He sits giving me a very suspicious look from his seat directly across the table next to the window. I turn my head from his prying gaze and look out onto the street, watching the secondary school children walk into the main gates of the school. The sixth form building is so much nicer than the main school, and the radiators actually work!

"You alright?" I hear him ask. "You were spaced out the whole walk here."

"I'm fine." I say smiling at him before going back to gazing out the window.

For about ten minutes we sit in silence. Usually this would not feel awkward, but this silence does. But I don't care. Let it feel awkward! After what he said about me this morning he deserves to feel that uncomfortable stupid, stuck-up bastard vampire!

* * *

><p><em>Flashback to earlier that morning…<em>

_I hum to myself cheerily as I bounce down the stairs, the morning light glistening on the windows with the remains of the due from the previous evening. I smile to myself, clutching my school bag full of my beloved biology books to my chest and walk into the deserted kitchen. I make myself a quick piece of toast, but no butter. I have never seen the appeal of putting unnecessary grease on food._

_Munching on my toast I walk down the hall towards the familiar voices of the residence other tenants that seems to be resonating from the living room. As I finish my toast the voices become clearer and I quieten my footsteps, stopping just outside the door._

_"You're going to end up passing out and starving to death if you don't sort yourself out soon." I hear Orochimaru's firm voice state._

_I peer towards the door and peep inside through the crack where the door opens. I see Orochimaru sitting on the love seat next to his vampire-hating lover Kabuto. Kabuto is glaring across the room at Gaara who is leaning against the wall opposite them, arms folded across his chest._

_"I am fine just how I am." Gaara retorts in a cool manner, giving Orochimaru one of his blank expressions._

_"You have to go out to hunt animals more often and pretty soon people might start to seem like fair game." Orochimaru says calmly. "So why not just bite her and get it over with."_

_"Fuck no!" Kabuto says, turning this burning eyes on the man he loves._

_"Kabuto..." Orochimaru sighs._

_"No! I will never let that beast touch Nicola! She is a sweet, innocent girl with a heart of gold that I shall never let be corrupted!" He snaps. "The leach is lucky he is still alive! I even let him share a room with her! Do not push me any further." He finishes a pleading look in his eyes._

_"But then we wouldn't have to clean up after him, he wouldn't be half starved all the time and heck! The girl might actually enjoy it!" Orochimaru explains casually to Kabuto's horror._

_"Myself and my family made a pledge never to feed off humans. I will never drink from her." Gaara growls in a venomous tone._

_I step back from the crack and lean back against the wall for support. I stare down at the ground wide-eyed. I know human is what I am, but to hear him say it so harshly, with such venom and disgust…_

_I push myself off the wall and walk back down the corridor, my one hand clutching my school bag tightly, the other fisted up in the fabric of my shirt over my heart. A sharp pain shoots through me with every step I take. My humanity… that is the reason why I am so weak…_

_I climb back up the stairs to the first floor and step into the bathroom, locking it behind me._

_"It hurts..." I say to myself, holding back the burning tears behind my eyelids that I squeeze shut to suppress the pain._

_He sounded so disgusted at the thought of drinking my blood. But why the fuck am I upset over that! I should be happy! Why would I ever want him to drink my blood anyway? Sure in the films it looks appealing, but he is nothing like the movie vampires. He eats normal food, goes to school during the day and crosses and garlic don't bother him at all. Why did I assume that I would be classed differently from any other human he could choose to feed off? I am not special to him. A friend and his captor/prisoner. I lost interest in caring who is the caged and who is caging the other._

_But fangs piercing flesh would cause severe pain and draining a person would cause acute anaemia. I could be bedridden for days and thus I would not get to go to biology class, not pass biology, and fail to go to university!_

_Okay I might be over-reacting just a little bit, but there is a point to it. What would happen to me? Is it the fact that I'm human that he doesn't want o bite me or is t the fact that it is me? What would I do if he did try to?_

_I sighed as I cleared my head, shaking it to knock out those thoughts. Sometimes being human really sucks. Really, why couldn't I have taken after my mom or dad? One or the other, I don't mind! I wonder what I would look like as a cat or a fox? Like Sasuke? Like Naruto? I guess that I shall never get to know. I will just be the weak little human girl like I have always have been._

_End Flashback_

* * *

><p>The day seemed to go by quickly, not that I can recall much of it. For the most part of it, I was in a total daze. Luckily the teachers don't seem to pay much attention to me and so I was left alone with my thoughts.<p>

My mind still dwelled back to the events from this morning and I ponder on how and why I had such an extreme reaction to the words Gaara said. They were true. So why did that sharp pain in my chest seem so bad that I felt as if I would collapse, unable to breathe? Why would he saying it make me actually care?

I have known for years now what I am. Human. The fact annoys me, that I will admit. But the fact that I have noticed my hearing, smell and sight worsening while the senses of those around me heighten is a slap in the face. My speed has stayed the same, while those of my family have increased; my strength is also in the same situation.

Walking home I decide to pull myself out of my thoughts and pay attention to my surroundings. Naruto is ranting at Sasuke who really doesn't care and looks bored. Hinata is talking to Arisu about the upcoming fashion show which the two are entering an outfit in and what they should do for it. Gaara, like he has been for most of the day, walks silently beside me, giving an occasional worried glance in my direction.

"Just shut up and accept it dope." Sasuke says finally, sighing at the hyperactive fox.

"He is right Naruto." Hinata says, turning to her mate with a kind smile.

At this fake tears roll down his face and he wines at her, clinging to her arm, rubbing his cheek against hers. Hinata has become bolder these last few years and will reprimand Naruto now if necessary. She is very affective and I see Sasuke's satisfied smirk at how Naruto grovels to his blushing mate. Well, it is only a little pink stain which is a large improvement from before when she would faint whenever Naruto even spoke to her.

"Aww poor foxy darling." Arisu chips in causing Naruto to shoot her a glair.

She clings onto Sasuke's arm and sticks her little pink tongue out at him, pulling the lower lid of her left eye down as she does so. Hinata giggles at just how childish our blonde friend can be and her skill at defusing an awkward situation.

Just then we reach Orochimaru's place and stop outside of the back door to chat. Everyo9ne but myself and Garra do so. I look at the couples and feel my heart sink just a little bit. Isn't it only natural to be jealous of how people can be intimate with one another. Yes, I am jealous that I do not have what they do. A mate.

I glance over at Gaara who looks uncomfortable watching the couples as they argue which couple looks cuter. Well, it is mostly Arisu saying that she and Sasuke make a cuter couple while Naruto rebuffs her saying that he and Hinata are a cuter couple. The argument could last for hours. At least this is where my listening has to stop unlike poor Hinata and Sasuke who have to live with it.

"Well," Gaara puts in causing them to stop and listen. The silent red-head never usually speaks unless necessarily, so he gets the attention of the moment. "as much as I love to listen to you love birds argue needlessly I think it is time we said goodbye and you go home."

Everyone blinks and then realises they have been arguing outside of a mortuary for the best part of fifteen minutes and decide to part ways. I get hugs from everyone and they just nod at Gaara who stands leaning against the wall next to the door with his arms folded. Looks like the chatter irritated him a little.

"Bye Nicola. "Hinata says smiling.

"Yeah bye! We won't keep you two from your 'alone time' any longer" Arisu says winking.

My face heats up and I whack her over the head in anger and embarrassment. She laughs at my expense and runs to catch up with the others who are walking off. I glance up to see Gaara who is looking up to the side, but with a surprising pink tinge to his cheeks.

"Sorry." I murmur as I unlock the door, trying to chase the heat from my cheeks.

"It's okay." He says as we step inside.

I rush away as I feel the presence of his body only centimetres from mine as we both stepped in practically at the same time. I slam the door shut and jump onto the soft king-sized bed and sigh as I lye back into its folds. I then sit up after a moment and get out my biology book to read over a few things that I missed in today's lesson while I was dazed out.

I hear the door open and then close a moment later as Gaara walks in. the bed dips slightly as he sits down on it next to me. He adopts the same crossed-legged position opposite me. I feel his gaze bore into mine and I pretend not to notice, but even the diagram of a tuberculosis bacterium blurs as my thoughts of this morning take over and my body becomes all too aware that the person who caused the pain this morning is sitting so close.

"What is wrong?" I hear him ask.

I lower my head and ignore him. How do I explain something that even I don't know the answer to. I don't know why I am reacting like this, I just am. But something about the worry in his voice makes me feel guilty for not answering him.

"Nicola?" he says.

I feel as his weight leans forward towards me and his cool and shoots electricity up my arms as he lays it hesitantly across my hand that sits atop the page. I look up at his face, and expression of worry stained on it. I feel a twinge of pain as I look at his expression.

"Tell me." He pleads, squeezing my fingers.

His face is only a few inches from mine. I turn my head away from him and he leans back, taking his hand away from me and I shift my position. I swap my legs over and place my book closed and on the Chester draws next to my bed.

"I don't know." I lie and look down at my hands that I rest in my lap.

"You're lying." He states. Damn him.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." He says leaning forward again and lifting my chin to look at him. "Tell me."

His eyes bore into mine and I push his hand from my chin but keep eye contact. Should I tell him? How do I tell him? How can I say that it hurt? Would he laugh at me? Would he be mad that I was ease-dropping?

"I promice, I won't judge you." He says. And there is the last nail in the coffin.

"What you were talking to Orochimaru and Kabuto this morning about." I say with a sigh, looking down at my hands again.

"You heard that." He states.

I glance up to see that he is looking down at the sheets of the bed, a sad expression on his face. He does not pull away from me however, so it seems like he won't take offence at my listening in on the conversation.

"So, which part made you upset?" he asks after a moment, lifting his eyes up to meet mine.

It is my turn to stare down at the bed sheets. I try to hold down a blush and bite my tongue. How am I supposed to tell him something so embarrassing? Even in my own head it sounds like I'm a rejected girl who just confessed her crush to the guy she likes.

The silence drags on almost endlessly. Finally I hear him sigh and he leans back away from me, supporting his weight on his hands behind him as he gazes up at the ceiling. I can't help but glance up at him, in these types of situations he usually is like a bulldog, he just won't let go until he pries the information out of me.

"Okay I get it." He says, not moving from his position. "You don't want to tell me."

"Not really…" I say cautiously.

"I'm sorry." He states.

"For what?" I ask, tilting my head to the right curiously.

He simply shrugs, continuing to stare up as if he can see the sky through the wooden beams and lead tiles. It is dark now, so if there was no ceiling he would look like he was gazing up at the stars, or the moon. The curtains are still closed from where I forgot to open them this morning, so I couldn't tell you if the sky was clear enough to see either.

"For you having to hear that I guess." He explains. "Talking about my gross feeding habits is not something that anyone likes to hear, especially me."

I frown at this. I know that he was obviously not in the mood for the lecture, but the topic itself was the cause of his discomfort. Now that has officially perked my curiosity. Even though I have been living in this house for a few years now, I have never once seen Gaara drink anything but coffee, water or pineapple juice. The latter being a rather strange choice in my opinion, but to each their own I guess.

"Didn't you talk about it when you used to live with your family?" I asks and he finally lowers his head to look at me frowning.

"Not about mine personally, but they would discuss each other's. I was never one to have to be weaned off human blood." He says.

"You've never drank human blood before?"

He shakes his head.

"But your brother and sister used to?"

"Yes, but this was before I was born and Shukaku adopted me and eventually them as well." He explains.

Shukaku is the name of the vampire who adopted Gaara as a baby after his biological farther rejected him. Shukaku is also the one who killed Gaara's farther in an apparent rage at a insulting comment that he made about Gaara. Gaara doesn't remember any of this, but his siblings do and told him about it. Shukaku ripped the bastard apart, literally.

"Is Shukaku the reason why they stopped?" I ask.

"Yes, he helped them with their urges and bought me up to never have them." He says closing his eyes. "Although, that does not mean that that I am immune to the blood's effect."

"Effect?"

"The urge to drink it when it is spilt." He says chucking and I pout.

"So when have you been feeding then? I've never seen you drink blood before." I inquire.

"When you are asleep I slip out and catch animals from the forest where my safe-house is." He explains, although he looks reluctant to.

We both fall silent as the awkward silence weighs down on us. I look towards the window and see Gaara follow my gaze. I stand and hop off the bed. I walk across the floor and open the curtains. I smile sadly at the clear, star scattered sky and feel my heart sink just a little. I guess for a human, it just doesn't look the same as it does to Gaara.

I sit on the window seat and continue to gaze up at it. I hear the bathroom door shut then and the shower turn on. I breathe a sigh of relief for the noise to dampen the silence. I walk over to my side of the bed and collect my pyjamas from under my pillows (I have two) reaching into the draw next to the bed and getting out my wash bag. I then walk back to the window seat and sit patiently on it, waiting for my turn in the bathroom.

After about fifteen minutes of keeping myself occupied I hear the water turn off. I turn just as the door opens and I can't stop the beat-red blush that takes over my face. Usually Gaara showers while I sit downstairs and read, so I have never seen him when he comes out. It's a shocker alright.

He stands there, half naked in the starlight, the pales skin of his torso almost glowing in the dark. He is wearing black pyjama trousers and nothing else. He doesn't seem to notice me as he rubs his hair dry with a fluffy white towel. I find myself staring at his bare chest. It is slim and toned, but no six-pack to be seen. I have never seen the appeal of those fake abdomen muscles that just fade over time.

I shake my head to snap myself out of staring at him and rush into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me before he spots me staring at him. I lock the door and glance at myself in the mirror to see that my cheeks have gone as red as my hair. I shake my head for a moment and calm my beating heart. After a moment I look up again in the mirror and sigh at the little pink stains on my cheeks.

Really, what am I getting so flustered about? It's not like I like Gaara. Well, we are friends so I guess I do, but I don't mean in a crush like type of way! No way! Never! He is a bastard who did that on purpose! Yes, it would be the natural reaction of any girl is she saw any guy with a well tined body without a shirt on! Yes, I am normal. A normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

I nod to my thoughts in approval and shake my head to get the image of his pale perfect chest, glistening with water in the light from the stars, out of my head. I refuse to dwell on it. I refuse to acknowledge that this incident even happened at all.

I quickly strip, turn on the shower and crank up the heat as high as it will go before stepping under the scorching water. I grit my teeth and watch my skin turn red. After a moment I feel my composure finally back in place and turn the temperature down slightly before washing my hair and body.

I step out, the water off and wrap myself in a big fluffy towel. I smile at how soft it feels against my clean skin. I dry myself off and change into my pyjamas, packing my shampoo, shower gel and my other wash things back in my bag before stepping back into the bedroom, the steam rolling out around my feet as I do so.

I frown and glance round at the empty room. I sigh and put my wash bag way and walk out of the room and down the stairs where I dump my clothes into the washing basket. I hear voices below and rush back upstairs to get my dressing gown that I had forgotten to take into the bathroom with me. I tie the belt firmly around my waist. It is navy blue in colour with white flows scattered across the bottom half of it where it hangs just below my knees.

I then walk back down the stairs and into the kitchen where Kabuto stands dishing up dinner. I smile as I see him wearing the pink, frilly apron that I got him for Christmas last year, the one he said he would never be seen dead in. I sneak out before he notices me and walk over to the living room where I can hear Orochimaru's voice coming from.

"Well don't go telling Kabuto that. You know how he is when he comes to her." I hear him say as I step inside.

"Don't tell him what?" I ask.

Both turn to look at me as I walk in and sit on the large three-seater sofa, crossing my legs like a small child on the comfy leather. Orochimaru is sitting on the lover's sweat while Gaara leans against the wall opposite. At my comment Gaara looks down, a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks.

"Not tell him about Gaara showering and coming out half naked." Orochimaru says chuckling.

"Oh." I say, feeling my own cheeks tinge pink.

"So, what verdict did you come to then?" Orochimaru asks slyly as he leans back and shooting me a smirk.

"About what?" I ask frowning.

"About his body of course." My boss says chuckling, his snake-like eyes sparkling with glee.

"Shut up!" Gaara says as a book whacks the snake-man in the forehead, sending him toppling over the back of the sofa, landing on the back of his neck. I see that one of the biology text books was the item thrown and mentally pity my boss, but outwardly blush at the comment and glair down at him as he picks himself up off the floor.

"What was that for?" he shouts at Gaara who is no longer leaning against the wall, but standing in the centre of the room glairing in Orochimaru's direction.

"For asking such a stupid question." He snarles.

"So you don't want to know if others find you attractive?"

"No."

"You don't want to know what Nicola thinks of her?" he says and smirks as the pink on Gaara's cheeks deepens.

"Shut up!" he snaps.

"I bet you do really." The home owner teases. "Well I could give a verdict for you if you would like."

"Pervert." Gaara says, glairing.

"Stingy." Orochimaru says sighing and sitting down next to me, his arm snaked round my shoulders. "I could give a verdict on your appearance instead then." He says to me.

Oh no. He has his creepy 'I want to rape you' smirk on that he uses to scare Kabuto with. I shake my head and remove his arm from around me just as another, thicker biology text book smacks him in the head again, and over the sofa he goes.

"No thanks." I say, not even looking as he pulls himself up again.

"Bullies. Ganging up on me when I have been nice enough to let you live in my lovely home." He says, pouting as he sits back down, this time on the opposite end of the sofa next to me.

Dinner passes buy without any more events and thankfully Orochimaru keeps his mouth shut about the whole, Gaara-coming-out-of-the-shower-half-naked thing. So the meal is pleasant. That is until Orochimaru decides to break out the 'special wine'.

* * *

><p>I sigh as I stare down at my glass which is still full after three hours' worth of drinking. Orochimaru and Kabuto are completely out of it and Kabuto lies curled up in Orochimaru's arms while the snake-man shouts out drunken banter at the thin air. I also noticed that Gaara has actually drunk just as many glasses as them and seems to be able to hold down his liquor. But his cheeks have a permanent pink tinge to them now, so it seems the alcohol is finally starting to take effect. He wobbles slightly as he takes a seat next to me and pours himself a new glass.<p>

"I think you've had enough to drink don't' you." I say and he turns his head to me.

"I'm fine, just a little hot." He says taking a sip and pulling at the collar of his shirt.

"You're intoxicated." I say and sigh.

I hear him grunt followed by the rustling of cloth. Orochimaru spots it before I do and lets out a loud wolf-whistle. I turn my head just in time to see his black shirt flutter to the floor. A blush creeps up my face as Gaara leans back on the sofa and sighs in contempt. For the second time that day I find myself unable to tear my gaze away from his finely sculpted torso.

"I'll give him a ten!" Orochimaru hick-ups as he drools with his lustful gaze fixed on Gaara's body.

"Don't look at me like that." Gaara snarls causing the snake-man to chuckle.

"Well by the looks of it Nicola seems to agree." He laughs.

Gaara's head whips round and I squeak, jumping in my seat yet somehow not spilling my glass. I stare down at the floor, red-faced with embarissment. I then feel hi shirft position and his body heat is suddenly right next to me.

"What would your rate me as then?" I asks innocently.

My head whips round to see his face inches from mine, a glazed over look in his eye as he stares intently into my eyes. I stand and put my glass on the table, but when I turn he is right next to me again. Geeze, he sure is stubborn when he's drunk.

"Fine, fine." I say sighing and run my fingers through my hair. "I would give it a…" I pause and look down at my feet. "a n-nine."

"WHAT! "Orochimaru screeches and is suddenly standing in front of me gripping my shoulders. "A NINE! ARE YOU BLIND?" he shakes me as he rants. "HE HAS THE MOST FINLY CHIZZLED CHEST I HAVE SEEN IN YEARS. AND I SEE ENOUGH CHEST EVERY DAY TO LAST ANY WOMAN A LIFE TIME! ARE YOU SAYING YOU HAVE SEEN BETTER?"

I then push him off me and avoid the question. Sure I have seen Sasuke and Naruto without shirts, and both of them are pretty good. With the amount of fangirls they have it proves it. But I have to say, Gaara's does trump them both. But that is only because my cousins have small six packs that may be mist with just a glance, but are clearly visible when examined properly. Yes, I have had to examine them. Really the two of them need to stop fighting all the time and carving into each other's upper bodies.

"HAVE YOU?" Orochimaru presses and I sigh walking to the door.

"None of you buissness." I snap and slam the door as I step outside into the cooler corridor.

I sigh as I walk up the two flights of stairs and into my bedroom. I flop down on the bed and sigh as the folds of the bed curl around me with their soft embrace. I lay on my back, my hands behind my head and stare at the ceiling. I quickly glance at the clock which reads 3:18am on it.

I sigh and climb under the covers, closing my eyes. This is way too much drama and frustration for a girl to have all in one day. After a few moments I hear the door open then shut. The bed dips as Gaara lies down on top of the covers. Soon all falls quiet again apart from the rhythmic sound of his breathing. The sound is soothing and before I am able to stop myself it lulls me off into the dark world of sleep.

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><p><strong>Sequal to High School Murders!<strong>

**Please read that one first.**

**I shall try to update as often as I can.**

**Rate and reviw please! X3 **


	2. New Teacher

**Chapter 2: New Teacher**

The next morning the usual walk to school was back to normal, with me chatting about mostly biology related things and Gaara chipping in with his own opinions every once and a while. I did mention last night to everyone at the breakfast table but none of them seemed to remember, for the better I think.

We reach school at 8:30am, the usual time we get in for and half an hour before the school bell rings to start the day. We walk into our form room which is always open and sit down. The others arrive all together about ten minutes later and the bliss of normalcy settles over our group.

The normal atmosphere of contempt continues throughout the day. That is until we reach our biology classroom. There is a tense aura inside and as myself; Gaara and Arisu take our usual seat we take not of the unusual mist of quiet over the chatter, as if someone had turned down the volume on everyone in the room.

The bell rings and everyone takes their seats. Our old biology teacher left last year and is probably about to go into labour sometime soon, so this will be our first class with our new teacher. The teacher is new to the school as well, but apparently is supposed to be one of the best.

After a moment the door opens and a man carrying a large, black briefcase and a black leather ring-binder takes his seat at the teacher's desk. He is as pale as Sasuke with just as black hair which falls mid-way down his back in a cascade of spikes. His eyes are coal pits and I feel a cold wind blow up my spine as he scans the class. When his eyes fall on me they seem to widen slightly, there is a small flicker of something before he moves on.

"Hello class. As of today I shall be your knew biology teacher." He says standing and writes his name on the board. "I don't like last names, so please just call me Madara."

The sensation of spiders crawling over my back begins as he smirks across the room at the class, but specifically it appears, at me. Arisu shoots a look at me and it seems she is thinking the same thing. She sits on my right while Gaara sits on my left. I look to see Gaara glairing intently at our new teacher, his hands balled up into fists.

I glance back at Arisu to see she has also taken to glaring at our teacher, but keeps her palms flat on the table. I frown, sure the guy is creepy, but I don't understand why they are both getting so agitated over it? Is there something I'm missing?

The lesson then starts and we pick up where we left off in the module. I already went over what we are doing, so the theory comes easy to me. I notice some on the girls in our class blushing whenever our teacher asks them a question and sigh mentally at how fickle girls can be. Sometimes I get really embarrassed just being female because of girls like them.

"Right then, in glycolysis what is glucose converted into?" he asks and his eyes fall on me. He then glances down to the register then back up at me. "Nicola am I correct."

"Yes. And it produced two pyruvate molecules." I say, not liking the way he slurred out my name, how it dripped off his tongue.

"Correct." He says in a light, happy tone that his eyes don't reflect. "At least I know one person who knows what they are doing."

He flashes me a smirk before going back to the board. The sensations of spiders crawling over me comes back and I physical cross my arms, gripping them with my hands to try and quench the disgusting sensation. I stare down at my notes and will myself to breath. Fuck that guy is creepy.

The spiders seem to vanish as a warm, comforting hand touches my arm and I turn to see Gaara looking at me with worry. I smile back, thanking him and finally being able to move my arms, I get back down to taking notes.

* * *

><p>The class drags on for what seems like eternity and throughout the hour I was picked on to answer questions every five minutes, or so it seemed like I was. Each time he would use that smile that made my skin crawl and by the last question I had subconsciously grasped onto Gaara's knee with my one hand, while clinging onto my pen with the other.<p>

The bell sounded like a gift from heaven when it finally came. The girls swarmed the teacher with questions as the three of us packed up our things as fast as we could. I apologised to Gaara, for gripping hold of his knee, well I didn't say what I was apologising for exactly, but he said he didn't mind so he must have known what I was on about. We then rushed to the door but as we reached it I froze at the sound of Madara's eerie voice.

"Nicola." He said, my name dripping off his tongue. "Great work today."

I do not turn round but mutter a thanks before walking as calmly as I could out the door, the sound of his chuckle making me want to run, but I hold down the temptation to along with the bile that builds up in the back of my throat. I think I'm going to be sick.

"Nick you've gone green!" Arisu squeaks.

She grabs my arm and rushes me to the nearest bathroom. Gaara follows and waits outside the door while Arisu pushes me into a toilet cubicle and tells me to aim for the bowl. Another time I would have laughed but as the door to the stall shuts I fall to my knees and empty my stomach's contents into the awaiting toilet. I wipe my mouth with tissue before flushing the evidence down the draink.

I pull myself back on to my feet and step out. Arisu thrusts a packet of mints in my hand which I gladly take, popping several in my mouth before pocketing the rest. After washing my hands we step outside where Gaara stands, leaning against the wall waiting for us, but Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke stand next to him as well.

"We need to talk." He states.

Everyone nods in agreement and we all move outside and find a quiet spot behind the school gym to talk. It seems Gaara must have told them about the singling out of me in class and my reaction to it as when we sit down to talk Hinata immediately examines me, bombarding me with personal questions like, was there blood in your sick? Do you feel hot? Is your chest tight?

"What happened exactly?" Sasuke asks Arisu.

"Well the guy just sort of saw Nicola and turned creepy." She says shrugging. "I have never known a shifter to take such an interest in a human before, not in the way he has at least."

My best friend calling me human hurts, but that is buried beneath the feeling of shock as the realisation hits me. He is a shifter. How did I not notice? How could I not tell? I guess I really have fallen to the human level after all.

"He is a shifter?" Naruto asks, not having met or seen him of course he would not know. "What species?"

"Cat." Gaara spits out, glairing down at the dirt as he leans against the wall.

"Watch it." Sasuke warns before moving on. "Well what do we do then?"

"Kill the bastard. I volunteer myself to be the one to end that life of his."Gaara states looking up. He is serious.

"How about we save that as maybe a back-up plan." Hinata says smiling nervously.

"Yeah." Naruto says. "But for now we should just concentrate on seeing how much he knows."

"I agree." Sasuke says. "And then we might be able to see a reason for his sudden interest in Nicola."

"Agreed." Gaara says reluctantly.

I stare at the grass I'm sitting on; picking strands and watching them fall back down to the ground. Soon the grass will frost over when the cold weather comes. I love winter, it is my favourite season and I have a feeling that this year will be especially cold, and white. Snow is what I love most; it is so white and pure. It falls silently and accumulates without you even noticing it. It also gives everything a sparkling white glow to it, the forests especially.

* * *

><p>The bell rings signalling the end of break and we all walk off to I respected classes. The rest of the day is tense, but nothing unusual happens and the last bell is followed by a greater-than-usual sigh of relief as we pack up our things.<p>

I smile as I finish putting my things back in my bag. The fact that I have had to spend the day with a very tightly sprung vampire should be over once we leave the school. He is still in all my classes, even after all this time. I look up as I feel a cold chill enter the room. Gaara is frozen still, a snarl on his face in the direction of the door behind me. The class is empty apart from us and the sensation of spiders crawling on me comes back with vengeance.

"Nicola, fancy seeing you here." I hear Madara's voice drip out and I supress the urge to shiver. "Well it is a good thing considering I wished to talk to you."

I turn round to see him leaning on our English teacher's desk, smirking up at me. Gaara moves slightly closer to me and I mentally thank him for it. I don't like the knowing look on our biology teacher's face.

"About what sir?" I ask, still trying to act normal.

"Well," he says chuckling. "I have been doing a little reading up on you. A grade student that lives alone. With only two living relatives, your cousins, a Sasuke Uchiha and a Naruto Uzumaki correct?"

I swallow down the bile that rises in my throat. I keep silent though. He knows too much, does he know what they are? By the smug look on his face I would say so. Gaara moves slightly in front of me, a small hiss coming from between his clenched teeth.

"I will take that as a yes." Madara says chuckling. "I also know that both come from long lines of shifters. The Uchiha are notorious cats while the Uzumaki a powerful line of foxes. And so, what does that make you then, Miss Luna?"

He stands up properly and walks slowly towards us. Gaara tenses and shifts so that his is directly in front of me, blocking Madara from my view. But I can still feel him getting closer, the chilling feeling grows and I see Gaara clenching his fists ready for a fight. As the footsteps stop just in front of Gaara I reach out and take one of Gaara's fists in my hand. It uncurls at my touch and I take his hand in mine properly.

"My my, you pet is the scary one." Madara says.

I glair in his direction and pull on Gaara's hand, moving his next to me. He looks down at me disapprovingly, but it seems the glare I'm sporting is enough to prevent him from acting against me. I lock eyes with Madara then.

"Sir, I think you may have mistaken me for someone else. Naruto and Sasuke are not related to me. Shifters are not real and Gaara is not my pet." I snap out, causing the teacher to chuckle.

"Well only the pet part was a lie, the rest I assure you is the truth. Shifters are very real." He says eyes turning red and Gaara's grip on my hand becomes vice-like. "I myself happen to be a shifter, with the form of a cat of course. And you Nicola, are very, very special."

"Enough." Gaara snaps. "We are leaving now."

He then pulls me a bit too fast around the table away from Madara, managing to pick up our bags simultaneously and reach the door before Madara has a change to turn. But when he does we both pause at his words.

"You have the potential to become whatever shifter breed you wish to be." He says and I turn to look at him.

"What?" I say frowning at the smiling man.

"You are a clean slate of fresh genes that can be given to any gene pool. You are neither cat, nor fox because the Shifter within you has not got the code to adapt into a form as of yet." He says smirking. "So Nicola, what creature would you like to become."

I blink at him. Could what he is saying really be true? That would explain why I used to be super-sensitive and now am at the equivalent to human. The genes left behind by my mother's blood have worn off, so now my body is waiting for fresh DNA to absorb. When I was born, my mother died after due to blood loss, containing her DNA which I must have absorbed.

I feel a tug on my hand and look up to see Gaara staring down at me with worry and anxiety plastered across his face. I squeeze his hand back then turn back to Madara, my mind firmly set. The guy may creep me out, but he seems to know what he is talking about.

"Good bye Sir." I say and we both leave to the sound of sinister chuckling following us out of the school.

* * *

><p>The walk home is quiet. No one really speaks apart from Naruto and Arisu who try to lift the mood by mindlessly chatting to each other. I look down the whole way, my mind wondering over countless possibilities that I never knew that I had. If what Madara said was true, I could have never had to experience this feeling of weakness ever in my life. I would become a full bread shifter, and I even get to choose of what species I can be.<p>

Gaara has also been ominously quiet. As soon as we left the classroom I rushed into the nearest girl's toilets and threw up again. Now that I look back, we must have appeared really like a couple back in the classroom, holding hands like that. But I only did that to stop him from jumping our teacher, having to clean up afterward would be a real pain in the ass, not to mention we would have detective Kakashi on our backs again.

We reach the mortuary and say our goodbyes before Gaara and I step inside. I have only been in the house but a few seconds before Gaara mutters 'we need to talk.' under his breath as he passes me. I gulp and follow him. I know he will have questions; I have questions for him as well. Why did he get so agitated? Would he really have killed him? Why is he being so over-protective of me for?

We reach the bedroom, dump our stuff and sit down next to each other on the bed. The awkward atmosphere exudes from both of us. It seems neither one of use wants to be the first one to start. I hear Gaara sigh, I guess he is.

"So, to get right to the point, you aren't actually considering becoming a shifter are you?" he asks with a serious expression plastered on his face.

I look down at my hand in my lap. Damn him. He read my thoughts so easily; I really am practically human right now. How could the thought of becoming more like my family not appeal to me? Well, the fact that a creepy cat creature told me about it does take pause for thought. But that doesn't matter, all I need is DNA and I can be whatever I want to be. What kind of person wouldn't consider it at the least?

"I will take that as a yes." He says and sighs.

I look up at him to see he is rubbing his temples with his fingers. I have no reason to feel guilty about anything, but seeing that it may be causing him pain does hit me a little bit, causing a guilt leak to start to drip out. Damn him. He stops and then looks at me again.

"So, what creature do you wish to become?" he asks, cocking his head to the side curiously.

"I don't know yet." I say honestly sighing in defeat.

"Are you going to tell the others?" he asks seriously, refearing to my family.

"Not yet." I say shaking my head. "And I plan on avoiding Madara like the bubonic plague."

"That's a given." He says chuckling. "But I will tell you now; I don't like the idea of you changing."

"Why?" I say blinking in confusion.

"I just don't." he says.

He looks away out of the window at the darkening sky outside. The sun is only just setting and so the sky is splashed with reds, pinks and oranges across a canvas of blue. He seems slightly embarrassed and his cheeks are stained a light pink.

I find myself wondering about that. Whenever I ask him about his opinion on me, or anyone else asks about his opinion on me, now that I think about it, he always seems to go a little pink. I wonder why that is? I know that blushing can mean you like someone, but this is Gaara we are on about here. The guy who is as cool as ice, with has the fury like fire.

But what if it is more than that? Could he really like me? He did say that 'there can only be one' a few years ago when I learned more about vampires. That means that he will only ever like one girl. He is saving himself only for her, not taking another to fulfil his own needs, refusing the advances of everyone else. It must be ruff.

I find my mood dropping as I imagine a beautiful vampire girl under the moonlight, dancing in its glow and outstretching her arms to him. She is breath taking and my imagination runs while with the scenario that I have unfolding. He goes to her, my heart wrenches in my chest as he enfolds his arms around her. They look like a perfect couple, a match made in heaven (not that I am religious) and I feel my heart break to see them.

"Nicola?" Gaara asks in worry.

I snap my eyes open, realising that my imagination had run away from me and I had ended up sitting with my eyes shut the entire time. I blush in embarrassment at his concerned face and laugh nerviously.

"Sorry, I spaced out." I say, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I said we should probably be going downstairs for dinner, and to make sure your boss doesn't wind up his lover into trying to kill me again." He says and we both stand.

"That was only once," I say. "And I didn't think cyanide worked on vampires anyway."

"It's a bloody good job it doesn't" he says, glaring at the floor as we walk down the stairs into the dining room. "He put enough in that curry to kill ten elephants."

"Be thankful it wasn't the whole bottle." I say jokingly.

"Well, I am thankful for that. Stupid cat." He snaps and sits.

"Cat?" I ask frowning at me.

He gives me a shocked look and blinks at me. I sit down next to him and look at him expectantly. He shakes his head and sighs. What? Am I supposed to know about this little nickname? But by cat could he mean…..

"You can't tell?" he asks. "He is a shifter, with a cat form like Sasuke and Arisu."

"Really?" I say sadly. I had never noticed. Then my eyes widen as a thought hits me. "And Orochimaru? He is one to?"

"Yes, can you guess what type?" he says in an amused tone, leaning his chin on his hand as he looka at me.

"Snake." I state.

"Bingo." He chuckles. "Freaky shit or what? Not only are they gay, which is uncommon in shifters, but they are also completely different species. Well, the two together are okay I guess."

"Yeah," I say. "There is no inbreeding when you can't breed with your partner."

"I suppose." Gaara says shaking his head. "It goes against nature, but what can you do?"

We talk for a few more minutes before said couple walk in, arm in arm. Orochimaru beams as he drags the poor little kitty by the arm, much to his protest displayed by the scowl plastered across his face.

"Hello my lovely lodgers!" he says enthusiastically, the smell of alcohol wafting over to my nose as he speaks.

"Sorry." Kabuto says sighing. "We went out and he dragged me into a gay bar and got drunk. Again."

He pushes his lover into a chair and walks into the kitchen and brings back some water along with some chocolate which he forces the man-snake to eat and drink. It seems to work because he soon sobers up.

"I hear you have a new biology teacher." He says, taking a sip of the coffee Kabuto just made of him, a rare expression of seriousness on his face.

"Yeah." Gaara says venomously, glaring at the table.

"Now I want the two fo you to be extremely careful around him alright?" he says putting down his coffee. "Especially you Nicola, Madara will have a keen interest in you, I'm sure he has already displayed this."

I nod.

"Okay, tonight onwards neither of you are to go out past 6.00pm got it?" he says sternly.

Gaara and I both look at each other, then back to Orochimaru and nod. He lets out a sigh of relief and takes another sip of his coffee. Kabuto stands leaning against the wall looking down at the floor with a sad expression on his crest-fallen face.

A sinister feeling creeps into my stomach making me feel a bit sick. The unusual serious atmosphere is starting to scare me. It seems everyone knows more about what is going on than me, and I can't do anything about it. What is going on? What does Madara want with me anyway? How are Orochimaru and Kabuto involved in all of this?

How the fuck am I going to get any peace around these freaked out, overprotective men? Suggestions on a postcard please!

* * *

><p><strong>Okay shorter chapter now but the plot is now unfolding<strong>

**Any suggestions or requests? I would love to try to work some in!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Rate and review please! **


	3. Imprisonment

**Chapter 3: Imprisonment**

The next few school days were tense ones. Madara still picked on me for answers and creeped me out every chance that he got. I avoided him as best I could. Needless to say, the weakened couldn't come too soon. Not just for me, but for everyone.

The bell rang followed by an echo of the relieved sighs of pupils ready for two days of freedom. In my case, two days free of my biology teacher. I met up with all my friends and we walked home, the lighter mood in the air a refreshing difference from the tension felt earlier on in the week. Everyone is chatting about things that don't matter; even Sasuke is getting into it and Gaara is even commenting on some things. I smile at this precious moment of peace.

"Nicola." A familiar voice says. A sickening feeling sets into my stomach and I turn to see Madara leaning against the railing, changed into casual clothes. "It has been almost a week now, have you made your decision?"

I glair at him. My family give me confused and worried looks while Gaara moves closer to me, glairing down the shifter. He smirks and suddenly I realise what he is doing. Damn him! He knows that I haven't told any of my family about being able to become a shifter. If he mentions it, there could be some trouble. I share a glance at Gaara who nods at me; he has also come to the same conclusion.

"Sir, I'm afraid I haven't." I say cautiously and he chuckles.

"Well I happen to have some source material for that project of yours, would you care to go over it with me?" He says, trying to hide his smirk.

"Yes thanks you. We have some time now." I say and his anger spikes a little. I am not going alone.

We were set a project in biology by him and are working in pairs. Of course he set Gaara and me the hardest to do, a ploy to get me to talk to him no doubt. I can't risk getting others involved, so for now I will just have to play his game.

"Great. It is back at my office if you don't mind walking back?" he says, gesturing back towards the school.

"That's fine." I say then turn to the others. "See you guys later then."

We say our goodbyes before following our teacher back towards the school. The sickening feeling intensifies and I find myself swallowing bile. Gaara sticks close to me and from an outsiders perspective it would look like a concerned friend walking a sick one home. If only I wish that were true. Once we are out of sight and ear-shot of my family Madara switches direction down a street heading away from the school. We reach a park and after a few moments we stop in a small clearing.

"Well then Nicola, I am disappointed." He tuts. "I would have thought you would have a creature in mind."

"Sorry, but it looks like you misjudged me." I say.

"Well," he says sighing. "Maybe you should consider my opinion. Some species are rarer than others, so how about a rarer breed?" he suggests smirking.

"No thanks." I say. "Now if that is all we are leaving." I say and turn to go.

"One last question," he says and I turn to see him staring intently at Gaara this time. "What kind of creature might you be Gaara?"

He chuckles sinisterly and before he could consider it a small whoosh of wind flew past my ear. I step back and turn to see a blow dart in Gaara's neck. His eyes widen for a moment before he collapses to the ground. I try to catch him, but my legs buckle to as a stinging pain coming from my neck stops my muscles from listening to me.

I fall to the ground, my face landing on Gaara's chest. I hear Madara chuckle and walk towards me. My heart is beating so fast. I can't breathe! My body won't move! My vision is blurry and everything is going dark.

"Now your mine, my little lambs." I hear Madara say as my vision stops working. I hear him laugh, it is evil like the ones the villains do from the movies.

I black out.

* * *

><p>I groan at the searing pain in my head. It throbs and I can't help but think that this must be what a hangover feels like. Nope, now I'm defiantly not going to drink anything ever. I open my eyes and the world looks blurry for a moment, then my vision clears.<p>

I can see dark grey stone floor beneath my feet. I feel cold sitting on it and I look up to see the walls and ceiling are identical to the floor. The far wall opposite me is a gaping hole filled with iron looking bars, an iron door with a large padlock on it in the centre. There is nothing much else in the room and the light from a candle on the wall opposite the bars provides only the dimmest light.

I try to lean forward but find cool steel holding me back. I glance to that see my wrists chained to the wall, a chain per hand. I glair at them, like I could scare them into letting me go. I sigh and shift my body a little to make sure everything works, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong or damaged.

I recall the darts, the stinging pain and glance around, searching for the familiar crimson hair that usually follows me, but to no a veil. Where is he? Was he taken as well? Did they leave him for dead or kill him?

I hear the sound of a lock being opened and the squeal of an old hinge as a door opens down the hall. I hear it close and confident footsteps come towards me. Closer. Closer. A pair of black boots, shiny and knew are first in my sight, followed by a white lab coat that I find myself glairing fiercely at the wearer of.

"You're finally awake." Madara says smirking at me, tapping a pen on his clipboard. "You have been unconscious for a whole week. I feared you may never wake up." He scribbles something on the clipboard. "I am sorry about that. I used too much tranquiliser for you in your human state; I shan't forget it next time."

"What do you think you're doing?" I snarl at him but he only smirks back.

"An experiment." He states. "But worry not; I could not conduct it while you were unconscious so I have not done anything to you."

"Psychopath." I spit at him and he chuckles.

"So I gather you hold no concern for the blood sucker since you are insulting the one who may hold the power to release him." He taunts. I snap at this.

"Where is he?" I shout, pulling myself up, chains rattling as I struggle with them. "I swear if you have done anything to hurt him I'll-"

"You'll what?" he retorts laughing. "At the moment you are a weak human who can do nothing for anyone. But worry not, I will soon change that."

I snarl at him. But he is right. What could I do? He is a shifter and I am human. He would beat the shit out of me in the blink of an eye. But I could still try, and when it comes to Gaara, for some reason I always tend to have my emotions run away with me. I am so confused as to why and what he is to me, I just stop caring and react now.

"As for your pet, I have only taken blood samples from him." He refers to his clipboard, scanning it. "That boy is a most remarkable creature, the rarest of the rare. A blood sucker." He looks at me. "A vampire, the rarest breed."

"I know." I snap and he chuckles.

"I thought you might. But I do wonder what vampiric cells would do once they enter a hosts body, the testing is in the works. You shall have to wait until I am finished with those before I move on to you."

"To do what pre-tell?" I ask, feeling my stomach sinking.

"Turn you into a shifter of course." He says smirking. "Males will pay vast amounts of money for a woman to bear a pure-bread child for them."

"You're sick." I snap, fear rising in me.

"But not only that," he chuckles. "Your rare genes mean that I don't need to target specific clientele. Oh no. it can be any breed."

"What do you mean?" I ask, scared to hear the answer.

"Well with a mild dose of cells you will only become that breed temporarily, but long enough to bring a child to full term. Then, this is the best part," his smirk and eyes go wild. "A new small injection of cells of a different species can be given and you will become that breed. So you can bear a new child straight away."

Shock. The only word to describe the emotion right now. It is numbing and the only thing to express it is the closing of my lips and the silence that follows. This shifter, this freak of a man wish to make money off me by using me as a breeding stock? What! No! No! No! I don't want this! It can't be real! This isn't happening to me!

"Fear not though." He says chuckling. "I wish to see what the vamperic cells may do to you first, so no clients for a while. My business hasn't been told yet, but all in good time."

He takes the candle down from the wall and uses it to light others that he produces from the deep pockets of his lab coat. He then goes about setting them up around the hall and the bars in front of me. The light reveals more of my cell, a bed sits off to my far left against the stone wall, it has one pillow and a blanket, but that is it besides the mattress and steel frame. Across the other side of the wall is a blue curtain that cordons off a square section and it hangs slightly open to show a toilet and sink. Well, it could be worse. It could be a hole in the floor.

He finishes placing the candles and takes a seat on a chair across from me on the other side of the bars. He flicks through the pages on his clipboard with a thoughtful expression before finally focusing his attention back on me.

"Now then," he says, leaning forward with pen at the ready. "I am just going to ask you a few miner questions. A few are quite personal though so I am sorry about them, but they are for your best interest."

I glare at him and bit my tongue to prevent myself from snapping back at him. If there is any chance of getting out of her it will be through him. So I will unfortunately try to do as he asks, within reason of course. After a moment I nod my head carefully and he leans back with a beaming smile on his face. It looks wrong and strange on him, a genuine expression of joy with no impure intent behind it. I didn't think he was capable of it.

"Excellent." He chirps happily. "Now, I asked you of any preference of creature earlier, have you changed your mind. Is there a shape you would hate to have?"

"I don't have a preference." I mumble, knowing he can still hear me well with those sharp cat senses of his. "But I would not like to be a cat or fox."

"May I ask as to why?" he says frowning.

"I have no favourites. If I became either of them I would feel like I was choosing one cousin over the other." I state honestly.

"Alright then, I can see your point." He notes something down on his clipboard. "Okay so no cat and no fox. Would you be okay with reptiles or fish let's say?"

"Yes." I say.

"Birds? Rodents? Aquatic mammals?" he inquires.

"I'm fine with any of them."

"Insects?" he says and I glair at him and he chuckles. "Just kidding they don't exist." He flips to another page. "Right then, a few medical details now. Any lung, heart or blood disorders?"

"No."

"Previous breaks or fractures?"

"No."

"Any operations?"

"No."

"My, my you are a healthy one aren't you." He says. "Do you smoke or drink?"

"No." I say scrunching up my face at the thought.

"Drugs then?"

"No, prescribed or not." I say, speeding things up and he chuckles again.

"Alright." He writes everything down and turns to a new page. "Now some personal questions for you."

"Shoot." I say casually.

"Do you consider yourself attracted in any way to the same gender?" he asks cautiously.

I blink. Then blink again. Is he seriously asking me about my sexuality? It appears so. He watches me, a serious expression on his face. I then shake my head and he nods, noting it down. That was an odd question.

"Good. That makes things a lot less awkward." He says sighing a little. "Now, here is another one." He taps his pen on the board. "How many sexual interactions have you been involved with, ever?"

"Excuse me?" I say, my eyes widening in shock.

"Well how many times have you given head, or been fingered or had sex, oral, anal, anything like that really." He explains casually.

"None." I say.

I'm only seventeen! How could I have done all of that sexual stuff already? I don't even have a boyfriend! Hell! I haven't even had my first kiss yet let alone all that! The only good thing about this is the he seems just as shocked by my answer and nearly falls off his chair wide-eyed.

"Seriously!" he says, steadying himself. "You're still a virgin?"

"Yes." I say rolling my eyes at him.

"Wow…" he says and shakes his head. "Sorry, I didn't expect that."

"I guessed from the way you almost jumped off your chair." I state and he coughs to move on past that embarrassing episode of his.

"Okay, so moving on." He says scribbling down on the paper and flipping over. "That is about it for now. But I must as you if there would be a breed you would like to try first, that is after we do some tests on your friends blood's effect on you."

"No." I state. "Where is he by the way?" I ask, trying to hide the worry in my voice.

"In another section of my labs under heavy sedation." He says smirking.

"I see." I say.

"Well I will leave you for now." He says getting up and placing the chair back against the wall opposite me. "I will be back to take some blood samples of yours within the next few days so I shall see you then."

He smirks, and with that walks back down the corridor and out through the creaky door from whence he came. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and go back over the information I have managed to gather so far.

Okay, Gaara appears to be fine although I am only going off that mad doctor's word. But the part about him being in another section of wherever we are seems to be true. The only exit from this cell seems to be those bars in front of me which I can't break, bend or get past without the key. I would pick the lock, but then there are the chains on my wrists to get out of as well.

I sigh to myself. The situation does appear hopeless. Sasuke is probably tearing up all the town looking for me, Arisu will be permanently pissed off Hinata will be becoming ill worrying too much and Naruto will be picking a fight with anyone over nothing at all. As for Orochimaru, he probably has his hands full with a very angry and impulsive lover who happens to be surprisingly strong when he gets like that.

I miss them. A week without seeing them is really starting to sink in. but the worst bit of it is that the feeling of not seeing that familiar crimson headed bloodsucker is like there is a large weight stuck on my stomach that I just can't shift.

I stare down at the floor in thought. I don't understand how he would be so important. Why is that? Why him? Why now of all times? It hurts knowing he is so close, yet not here with me. Wasn't the whole thing of the two of us being forced together against my will in the first place? He annoys me all the time. He is selfish, stubborn and has a warped sense of humour! Well I guess I am no different on those latter flaws, but at least I don't take them out on him!

* * *

><p>The dripping of water from a pipe down the hall seems to add an eerie sense of calm to my situation. I concentrate on the normal sound. It is like the sound of the tap dripping which Kabuto goes crazy about when someone doesn't turn the tap all the way off. I find myself stupidly smiling softly at that little pet peeve of his.<p>

Well time to get my head together! This is no time to get depressed! I nod to myself and look up around my cell. I climb sluggishly to my feet and close my eyes, waiting for the world to stop spinning. I open then and then turn to examine the chains on the wall. They seem fairly standard, like those used in medieval times for human prisoners. If only I was just a little stronger than that…

I tug on them. I yank them at every angle I can position them in, but to no avail. I humph and pout at them, as if they would take sympathy on my and drop off my wrists. I turn back around and walk slowly forward. I reach within a meter of the bars and halt as the chains reach their maximum length.

I sigh and glance at the bed to my left and decide to at least have a semi-comfortable seat as I wait for an opportunity to gain more information, or for just something to happen. I lie down on the old mattress and stare up at the bare ceiling, closing my eyes and letting my mind drift.

After what must have been a couple of hours I hear the oil deprived door at the end of the corridor creak open, then closed. The sound of a women's heals click down the on stone floor, interesting that he would have a women assistant. The clicks come to a stop and I do not change my position, taking on a persona of sleep.

I then hear the rattling of keys and the heals click as she steps inside my cell, door being locked after her. I open my eyes then and look at her with a blank expression. She is an average sized woman with short brown hair and eyes. She wears a short white dress with a lab coat draped over it to hide her flat chest, not that I am one to talk. A nurse, great.

She blinks at me for a moment, she looks like a doe caught in the headlights of a car. She is holding a tray with a needle, wiles, cotton wool and a glass vile of alcohol solution all laid out neatly. Blood tests, joyful.

"Can I help you?" I ask after a moment in a monotone voice snapping her out of her frozen silence.

"O-oh! Right! I am your nurse who will be looking after you while you are here. My name is M-Matsuri. N-nice to meet you." She says nervously.

I sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and look up to see her over the other side of the room, flat against the wall. She has once again frozen and looks petrified. Okay it is very mean of me but I can't keep it up. I burst out laughing. She doesn't move and I calm my laughter into giggles and then look over to her.

"Hey. I'm not going to bite you, you know." She doesn't move and I sigh. "I'm human so calm down."

She heaves a large sigh, her head coming forward and smiles shyly at me, blushing in embarrassment a little at her own actions. She then walks forward and places the tray on the bed next to me. Not the smartest move, a needle can do some serious damage, but I decide to let the poor women not be scared anymore today, maybe next time.

"Madara sent me to take some blood samples from you." She states meekly and reaches for the cotton wool and alcohol.

"I guessed as much." I say and turn over my wrist to give her access to a vein.

She smiles gratefully and begins swabbing my wrist with the liquid coated wool. I may as well get at least one alley in this place, I might need one to help me escape. So for now I will obediently do as the mousy looking nurse asks me to.

She performs he job in silence as she gently imbeds the needle into my skin and then into a vein. The blood is slow to come and I have to turn my wrist a few times before finding a position that gives a suitable flow. I watch as three vials are filled and by the fifth I find myself gazing round the room out of sheer boredom.

"There all done." She says as she finishes filling the last of the vials.

I hold a piece of cotton wool over the small mark for a few moments as she gathers her things back up, labelling the vials and putting the waste in a plastic bag. I give her the last cotton wool bud from my arm and she stands to leave.

"Thanks for that. Most people here don't give me such a nice time." She says as she locks the door to my cell.

I smile back and she waves at me as she walks off with the samples, telling me she will bring me some food and something to drink shortly. I find myself saddened as the vials of my blood disappear out of sight. I sigh and rub my arms trying to warm them. I suddenly feel very cold in this dark, silent stone cell.

I glance down at my wrist and grimace at how a small bubble of blood sits atop the skin of the puncture mark. I bring it closer to my face to examine it closer. My cousins would have had no sign of the needle. No blood bubble. I presume neither would Oroachimaru, or Kabuto, or Gaara…

At the thought of him my mood saddens and my mind wonders to how he is doing. I sit there for quite some time, but it could have only been a minuet, two at most just thinking about him and how I feel about him.

Bringing my focus back on the blood bubble I stick out my tongue and bring it closer. I do not know what compelled me to do it, but suddenly I found myself with a sweet irony taste on my tongue as the bubble burst.

The wound had stopped bleeding and I let my hand fall. I examine the taste in my mouth and wonder if a vampire has different taste buds. My blood isn't a bad or nasty taste. It is just a part of me. You don't get any reaction from tasting it. I wonder to myself whether Gaara would find the taste different.

I sigh and stare up at the grey ceiling. The door creeks open as Matsuri comes to bring me some nourishment. Her footfalls seem to mimic that of a heartbeat, each click being a pulse of life through a person.

"I need to get over this. I am not a masochist." I mutter to myself, folding my arms and pouting.

Stupid vampire.

* * *

><p><strong>So, how was it?<strong>

**Getting a bit dark now I think...**

**Well, read more when i eventually comes ^_^**

**So revew me please! I'm sending cookies to all that do! XP**


	4. Injection

**Chapter 4: Injection**

A few weeks have passed since I woke up in my dank, cold stone cell. Woke up to an unknown world full of blood tests and daily medical examinations. A lonely, isolated place where the people who on rare occasions pass by my prison have neither faces nor names. They are all just soulless moving corpses in my eyes.

Maybe my sanity has finally slipped, or maybe I am hallucinating through anaemia, but I swear that those things are not entirely human. They speak in one tone and all seem to share the same voice. I can never recall their faces; maybe they just don't have one? Anything is possible to me now and it is jus to much energy for me to waste on trying to figure the puzzle out.

I sit up and sigh in defeat after spending two hours staring at the ceiling counting imaginary sheep and still failing to fall asleep. I rub my arms and the cool metal chain o my wrists rattle with the sudden movement. I then glance up t the clock across the hall. My nurse Matsuri put it up there at my request a couple of days ago as I was going crazy at not knowing the timings of things going on. It is currently 6.30am and once again I have not slept at all this night.

I listen to the ticking off the clock and count in my head. I reach ten then the door screeches open on its un-oiled hinges. He is seven seconds late today. I watch his shadow glide ever closer o my cell until finally he emerges from the shadows.

"Good morning Nicola. Sleep well?" Madara asks as he takes his regular seat across the bars from e with clipboard and pen at the ready.

"Morning Madara." I mumble, I gave up with the formalities weeks ago. "As for sleep, it is a no-go zone at the moment.

He tuts at me, shaking his head.

"You need sleep. Skipping it is bad for your health." He says.

I shift position so I am sitting crossed-legged on my bed and face him. Oddly enough, I am getting used to this strange routine and the fact that I am stuck in this cell. Not for much longer if I have any say in it.

"It's not like I can help not sleeping. I do try to." I say suppressing the erg to yawn.

"Well at least you are trying." He says sighing and tapping his pen on his chart. "You have been here a month now, including the week out were unconscious." He states.

"I am aware of that." I say. It looks like something is up.

"Well, your friends blood has finally finished being tested." He says carefully and looks at me intently to judge my reaction.

My face hardens and I ball my hands p into fists until my knuckles turn white. My 'friend' he means Gaara. And with the tests finished being his way of telling me that my time as a human is up. I never thought that my humanity would be something to miss, but I think I might get all nostalgic about it in the near future.

"You know what this means don't you?" he asks, just o make sure I am still listening.

"Game time." I say and meet his gaze with my icy one. He winces slightly at it; my numb personality has turned my glair into quite the cold one.

"That's on way to put it yes." He says sighing and reading off his charts. "The human trial runs all ended in mortality. His genes were just to strong and consumed them. Their cells were devoured and destroyed. They didn't stand a chance." He looks up at me. "But your cells have a neutral gene in them somewhere that will enable you to cope with the change."

"When?" I ask, stopping him in his so heart-felt attempt at comforting me. "When does it happen?"

"In a couple of hours." He says placing his clipboard down on his lap and biting his lip. "I am confident that things will run smoothly. But you can never be a hundred percent sure…"

I chuckle at how worried he is over me. I can understand has concern. From a scientific perspective he is taking a very large risk. It is odd how I can detach myself from the situation at times like this to try to see the other side of things. It makes no sense for a scientist to risk their only specimen in such a risky experiment, so the fret is justified. Yet if it all plans out, the benefits could be extraordinary. The power of a blood sucker in the form of a shifter, the possibilities are endless.

"Okay." I say after a moment of thought.

He looks up at me and his gaze steadies. He nods before getting to his feet, clutching his beloved clipboard tightly. He really is very nervous about this. He says goodbye and tells me he will be back to give the injection himself along with Matsuri.

I listen to his dull footfalls leave down the hall way and wait for the mental door to slam shut before I let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding. I stare down at my bare, pale feet. They are dirty from the floor, and the many times I have paced my cell in boredom. I run my fingers through my bangs, since being here my hair seems to have grown quite long. I pull my ponytail round and inspect the hair for any split-ends. There are none.

* * *

><p>I only have two hours left human or even two hours just being alive. What should I do? I glance round my cell and think. I suppose I should start with my final silent goodbyes to everyone, just in case. So, who do I start with?<p>

_Sasuke, thanks for being so overprotective all the time. Even though I acted like I was angry, most of the time I was secretly happy that someone cared enough to nag me about irrelevant things. Like looking both ways when crossing and never taking sweets from men who smirk at you. Thanks especially for the latter, though I know you had trouble curbing that particular habit of mine. I really do have a sweet tooth. Don't argue too much with Naruto and Arisu, but give them lots of love from me, Hinata to. I still have that dagger I pinched from you when we were seven; it is on the wooden bed frame in my apartment on the head end of my bed._

_Naruto, you next. Thanks for always being so loud and happy all the time. You really are just like a sun when you act like that. Try not to hassle Sasuke to much and make sure to let Hinata have lots of love and affection, by hell does she deserve it after how long she had to wait for you to finally notice her. Don't argue with Arisu to much. I leave my comic collection to you. It is under my bed in the grey shoebox on the far right-hand side._

_Okay Hinata it's your turn. Thanks for keeping the sanity for all of us. You are so kind and understanding no wonder everyone loves you so much. Keep loving Naruto, he is a dummy but hopefully he will grow out of it some-what. Keep Sasuke and Arisu from arguing with each other and Naruto to much. It's a hard job but I know that you can do it! You are free to pillage all the clothes in my wardrobe, both in my apartment and at work. They will fit you the best seeing as we both have the same chest size. I think. Never give up! You are stronger then you think!_

_Orochimaru. What can I say about the likes of you? Well, you have been such fun to work with! I am so glad that I had such a great boss, not everyone is as lucky to have a boss who lets you use their deceased clientele as puppets and dace round with them. So many weird and wonderful times... Try not to work Kabuto so hard and I hope my replacement can live up to my standard. If not, sack them! You have my permission to do so. You can ransack my room and take whatever you want really, as long as you share with Kabuto. But leave my clothes; they are for Hinata only so don't even think about it you sick, sadistic snake man. I want you to know that even though I never got to meet my real dad, I considered you a farther to me and are proud to admit it._

_Now it is your turn Kabuto. What is there to say? You are a constant nag and worrywart. You blow up anything negative that happens me into some big drama. But it is only because you care and I love you for it. If I had to give a role to you, it would be my mother. You care so much it hurts some times thinking about how you deal with it all. Keep Orochimaru on a short leash and don't let him take all my stuff for himself, you get in there to! You are the only mother I have ever met who is able to wear a pink frilly apron and glair sadistically to such a degree that you look actually masculine. Not that you don't usually, just with that apron of yours._

_The turn of my best friend next. Yes Arisu I am talking about you. Don't argue with Naruto to much and give Sasuke a break when it comes to that jealous streak of yours, he has to go through just as much as your and he never freaks out. Thank you for being so much fun and seeing the joy in everything. You are free to tear my apartment apart to look for stuff; you can have everything apart from the clothes, comics and Sasuke's dagger. Try not to miss me too much and keep out of trouble, though I suppose it being you that trouble will find you no matter what you do._

_Have I missed anyone? All those in my classes I wish you the best of luck with exams and university. Teachers push them hard to do their best, but not too hard so that they keel over. Anyone else? Well then, I guess it is his turn._

_Gaara. Okay you will be the hardest. At first like most of the girls in school I will admit that I was mesmerised by you. A perfect creature is what I saw you as, even all covered in blood. Then I got to know you. You annoy the hell out of me and are a pain in the ass. I don't think straight when it comes to you and that very fact confuses me to no end .But alone is this dark, cold cell I have realised something. I have been in denial all along. Embarrassment, confusion and jealousy. Those are all things you cannot associate with just a friend. I feel stupid for not realising it sooner. I have fallen in love with you. There I said it! I just wish that I could have really told you this, and that I would have found out your feelings for me in response._

_I hope I shall meet you again in the next life. Be nice to be though! And don't tease me so much. Try not to hate other so bad and I hope that I have given you a better opinion of humans and shifters. Till we meet again._

* * *

><p>I pull myself back into the room and whip the silent tears that I didn't realise had been falling from my eyes. I chuckle as I look at the salty drops on my fingers from my face. I didn't know saying goodbye could be so hard. At least I can die knowing that I don't regret not knowing how I saw Gaara. But I will regret never getting the chance to tell him, even if it wasn't face-to-face.<p>

I hear the dull thud of footsteps from beyond the corridor drawing closer. I wipe my face again to remove any last tears and steady my resolve. The keys clang on the metal door as it is unlocked. The hinges scream in protest as they are moved. The footfalls approach and my nurse Matsuri comes into view. She looks nervous. I smile kindly at her and greet her as I always do.

I am ready to die.

She comes into my cell and draws out a large key. She gives me a pitied look, but I don't get angry. There is no point dying in anger. She places it into a large keyhole between where the two chains come out of the wall. There is a click and the metal clangs to the floor. She picks up one in each hand; I am surprised she can even lift them! She is a skinny little stick of a girl.

"Let's get going then." She says and swallows.

I nod and stand. She then leads me out of my cell and down the corridor towards the oil-deprived door. We do not speak, not that neither of us would know what to say. We continue through the door past many cells which are identical to mine, only with one main difference. There is straw in the floor, and no bed.

I peer into the darkened pits and are able to vaguely make out deformed humanoid shapes in the shadows. Deep panting comes from some; others make no sound at all. As we stop at the next door I decide to thoroughly inspect the creature within the nearest cell. I stare at the shape in the shadows intensely. After a moment my eyes adjust and I bite my lip to prevent a gasp escaping me.

Whatever it is, it appears to have once been human. It is slumped on the straw leaning against the back wall where it is chained to by the throat. Its clawed hands look like those of a sloth, only with human skin covering all bit the sharp tips. It rests them on what I presume to be its knees, but they look as if they are just the knee caps left, no skin or muscle of which I can see. The lower part of the leg is skeleton like, as if the poor thing had all of its flesh removed. The feet are larger than they should be, they seem to also be devoid of any body, but have a covering of skin which continues down to the toes which are long and webbed.

I presume the torso is also to be deformed in some way but the creature is hunched over its knees. Its arms are coated in thick hairs that appear matted in places with what I can only guess to be blood. It has long dark hear with falls down to hide its face, only a bald spot on the left side of its head shows the pale, scarred skin beneath. My stomach churns as I see that the spot is bald due the lack of an ear.

Only a think, grey rag seems to adorn its form. It hangs loosely off its thin shoulders, dirt and dark stains spattered across it. There are holes in places where the fabric has torn and left jagged holes in the material. Overall, the creature looks horrible. I pity the poor think.

There is a large click as the door finally opens. At the sound the creatures head twitches. It slowly raises its head. Times slows down for me. The hair falls back to partially reveal its face. No, his face. Chocolate brown orbs look on me with a glazed expression, but still I can see the humanity that lies behind them.

The face is scarred and it looks like half the lower jaw has been removed. Sharp, jagged teeth fill his mouth, not one row, but three rows on what is left of the upper and lower jaws. The gums look think and are broken, some parts bleeding. He has no lips to hide what has been done to him. His nose is none existent; there is just a pair of slit-shaped scars where it used to be.

He seems to not have a throat as such, but an open wound. There is neither skin nor flesh. I can clearly see his oesophagus, the later of which expands and contracts as he takes his thin, shallow breaths. I can also see a glisten of white of his spinal column as it descends from his skull, a think strip peeking through the vertebrae. His spinal cord is still intact. That means he can still move. He can still feel everything.

Our eyes remain locked for what seems like minuets, but can only be seconds as Matsuri pulls me through the doorway. My head even turns so our gazes can remain locked. Just as the door is shut the glazed look fades and I see the man he once was and a single tear falls from his right eye, a bloody tear of sorrow. But as I am moved on I feels as if the tear may have had a different meaning all together. A tear of thanks, that someone had finally seen him as a person, not a beast.

"It is best not to look to closely." Matsuri says and I look up at her back, it is tense. It seems she doesn't seem to approve of everything that goes on in here.

I nod at the comment even though she can't see me. I unclench my fists that I did not realise had formed. I stare past my nurse to the destination ahead. After a few more corridors of cells, which I don't look at, then we reach a plane, normal looking corridor. It cream coloured walls seem to bright and I actually wince as I look at along it. Steel doors line the walls on either side. They have large windows at head height and I peer through some to see wide arrays of medical equipment and machinery. A few we pass contain rooms with empty beds and they resemble the hospital wards like those you see on programmes like Casualty.

The hall forks to the left and one single door lies at the end of it. I peer over Matsuri's shoulder and through the glass of the door to peer into the room. Madara's face appears and the door is swung open as soon as he registers who is outside.

"Right on time. Come on in." He says, standing back like a gentlemen would hold the door open for a lady.

We step inside. It is the same cream colour as the corridor walls. It has a single bed which takes up the centre space of the room. There are chains on all four corners of it and on the right hand side there is a mental trolley with what looks like a flue jab on it. Only the liquid inside the needle is red. There is a heart monitor and a defibrillator already set up. There is an array of surgical equipment and I spot several tanks of various gases spotted round the room. On the shelves there are many vials of medication. I can't make out the labels, but the one that one of those faceless people is holding has a very clear label. Morphine. A powerful sedative and painkiller. Well this all looks very promising. Death, I hope you're ready? I know I am.

"Well, lets get you strapped in then." Madara says and I look up at him. He gestures to the bed. "In case of muscle spasms. And possible violence."

He somehow appears older to me as I look at him. Sweat is running down the side of his face which is wrinkled with age that I hadn't noticed before. He is pale and his hands are shaking. He has dark bags under his eyes that rival a panda and his dark orbs look glazed, worn-out.

_I have accepted my fate_, I remind myself and nod at the old shifter's request. Matsuri looks at me worriedly before walking me over to the bed. I sit down on it and wait patiently as she fiddles with the chains on my wrists. They fall to her waiting hands and I have to suppress the urge to rub my saw wrists as she lays my shackles to one side. She then asks me to lie on my back which I do. I shuffle my body deep into the mattress and close my eyes in a moment of bliss. This is the most comfy I have been in a long time.

I open my eyes as I feel the familiar cold of metal on my wrists as I am shackled to the bed. Matsuri then goes to the end of the bed and locks the chains around my ankles. I look down at my dirty grey t-shirt and trousers that I was given yesterday to wear after I had finally persuaded Matsuri to sneak me a fresher change of clothes.

Madara nods at one of the faceless people and they move away to the side of the room near the oxygen cylinders. Matsuri stands beside the metal trolley and Madara moves up beside her. She uses some alcohol and cotton wool to clean a patch of my skin on my left arm, over a bright blue vein. I have noticed that my veins have seemed to stick out a lot more since I came here.

Madara picks up the needle as Matsuri moves away and goes to stand along with the rest of the faceless which have all gathered around the oxygen tanks. Madara mutters some encouragement, more to himself it would seem.

"It will be alright." He says. "This will work."

I turn my head up to the light above my head, it is broken and there is no bulb. I feel relief at the thought that I am not in the spotlight for all to see, but am partially shadowed. No one knows what will happen after all. But as I have prepared myself for the worst. I will say death is the most likely outcome.

I see Madara's shadow fall over me. His warm hand rests itself on my arm in a gentle but firm grip. He thumbs the vein to check that the needle will go in correctly. Then there is the sting of pain that comes from the needle being inserted. I hear the squirt of fluid as it goes into my body.

Immediately I feel the spot on my arm ice over, then the sensation continues up my arm and to the rest of the body. It feels as if my veins have frozen. I listen closely for a moment in the silence which has fallen over the room and mentally sigh as I locate the sound of my own heartbeat. It is slow and subdued, but it is still there. I am not dead yet.

I feel my stomach clench in pain and I roll to my side in a jerky motion and curl up. I swallow down the bile in my throat. I gag but stop myself from throwing up just yet. The chains chime in my ear, the sound is defining.

"Bowl." I manage to rasp out between gags.

A large silver bowl appears in my vision a moment later and I let the entirety of my stomach fall into it. At least I cold sensation is gone. But it has been replaced by a throbbing sensation all over my body, as if my veins wish to push out through my skin.

"Morphine!" I hear Madara bark and there is the clanking of bottle.

I am sick again, but this time my throat burns as mostly acid spews into the silver bowl. There is curse. Everything is starting to sound further away. My organs seem to be shouting in protest at me. As if my body is crying for help. I can almost hear my own body screaming at me.

_Stop it! Help! I don't want to die!_

No. I tell it. Death is something which is coming for me and I shall accept it. My stomach churns up more fowl smelling acid in protest. I can hear people shouting in the background. Something about something not working. Who are we loosing? Loosing me? Well, what did they expect? Everything to go just as they want? Nope, like is a bitch like that.

My limbs start to feel heavy, as if lead weights are pinning me to the bed. I try to move my legs, I will them to shift just a little bit. They don't respond. I mentally sigh to myself and decide to give up. It looks like whatever is going on; I have absolutely no control over it. I just know that this is going to take a hell of a long time.

Death. If you can hear me, it is very rude to keep a lady waiting you know. So please hurry up because I bore very easily and I am bordering on dullness at this moment. But I suppose that I can bare it, just as long as this experiment fails and I get to die. If not, hell hath no fury because mythical entity or not, I shall kick your undead ass if I live through this!

* * *

><p><strong>Okay 4th chapter finally done! <strong>

**I had real writers block on this one ¬_¬ but I got over it.**

**I am offereing cookies for any reviews as I did in chapter 3.**

**Hope you liked it! *bows***

**ByeBee! :3**


	5. The Visitor

**Chapter 5: The Visitor**

"Quickly! We don't have time for this!" I hear a faint masculine voice say somewhere far away.

"Can she really handle being in such a person's presence so soon?" I hear a feminine voice say, closer than the man's.

"She will just have to be." The man says, he is closer now.

I grasp at their voices in the dark abyss. I understand that I am not dead, this pisses me off. But I am also aware that I am trying to wake up. I feel a pinch as a needle is taken out of a vein on my arm. Looks like I am being woken up.

My body feels heavy. As my consciousness comes fully able and the world at the back of my eyes turn read I feel a sense of nausea take over me. I concentrate on tracing the veins in my eyelids and wait for the feeling to pass. I don't know why I am being woken up, nor do I know how long I have been in that dark place. All I know is that those people better be prepared for a tongue lashing. If I can speak that is.

"Everything out of her?" the man's voice I recognise as Madara's says.

"Yes." The Matsuri confirms. The identity of the female voice from earlier must belong to her.

I crack my eyes open slowly. The light in burning to my eyes, I must have been unconscious quite some time. I wait for my eyes to adjust to the bombardment from the dim lights in the room. I blink the spots of colour from my eyes and look round. I am still in the same room where I was taken to last.

"Welcome back."Madara says and I shift my eyes to him.

He is sweating profusely and a nervous, but relieved smile graces his pale face. I try to muster-up a glare but he reaches for me and grasps my upper arms and I decide against it. Suddenly I realise how fragile I am. His hand fits all the way round my arm and I look down to see the pale twig in his grasp.

Just how long was I out for?

I glance back up from my arm to Madara's gaze, to my arm again, then back to his face. He lets go of my arm as he reads my silent question. His smile disappears and he steps back, picking up his clipboard.

"I am glad you made it." He starts his explanation. "In short, your cells rejected the DNA which was something that we had considered and prepared for beforehand. It is a miracle you survived, the rejection was far more violent than we had expected." He flips over a page on the clipboard. "You fell into a coma and have been in one for three months now."

I blink. Did he say three months? Three months! What the fuck! It can't be! There is no way I could have fallen asleep for that long! Although it would explain the weakness I am feeling, and the apparent deterioration of my physical appearance.

I open my mouth to speak but only a squeaks comes out. I lick my cracked lips and swallow. Right on cue, Matsuri appears beside me with a glass of water. She easily lifts me up with one hand and brings the glass to my lips. The water swirls into my mouth and I gulp it down greedily. I finish the glass and Matsuri puts it to the side and props my body up on some large pillows she pulls from the floor below my bed.

Let's try this again.

"Why did you wake me up?" I ask.

He blinks in confusion at me. It seems that he was expectation some sort of insult, maybe even an interrogation on my condition. But not an explanation behind his own current state of distress. Well, I am curious as to what could have put my captor into such a flurry of panic. I feel a small smile touch my lips at his behaviour.

"You could tell we bought you out?" he asks and I nod. "Well then, that is something positive at least."

Matsuri keeps herself busy as he speaks. She takes my blood pressure and runs over a lot of charts that are scattered on different surfaces around the room. She then starts to gather shampoo, shower gel, a sponge, towels and clothes. Looks like I am taking a bath then.

"The truth of the matter is," Madara continues after a moment of thought. "There is a very important and influential person who demands to see you. He is practically royalty."

"Why would he wish to meet me?" I ask frowning.

"He would like a child." Madara bluntly points out.

I glare at him in response.

"Why should I meet someone such as that?" I say, feeling my body strengthen at the imminent threat looming over me.

"You know why." He says sighing. "I will be back in ten minutes. Matsuri, I leave it to you to make her presentable by the time I get back."

"Yes sir." She says, standing next to me.

He nods and walks to the door. He leaves silently and then the cleaning begins. It amazes me how much my body has changed as Matsuri is easily able to lift me. As she washes me I am shocked into silence by my new appearance. My bones protrude from my skin in a skeletal way and my veins are an electric blue contrast against my pale skin.

* * *

><p>After ten minutes Madara returns, just as he said he would, a little more dishevelled and jittery, but determined. Matsuri helped me dress. I only wear a pain of black jeans with a blue t-shirt and trainers on my feet. The clothes are obviously Matsuri's as the shoes are a size to big and the clothes hang off my frame like rags. But my stubborn chest has refused to flatten. Damn these genes of mine.<p>

"Now let's get you settled in the room where you are meeting him." He says.

Matsuri nods and I do as well. I let her lift me up in her arms and wince at the irony of how week I have become. We walk out of the room and down various corridors, past many different rooms, but I don't bother paying attention where I am going. There is no point, even if I found a way to escape, there is not much I can do in this state.

Eventually we reach a room and Madara holds the door open for us. There is a large red love seat on the far side of the white room which I am gently placed on. There is a coffee table in front of it and a couple of arm chairs opposite the table. The floor is carpeted and I have the sudden urge to throw my shoes off and let my bare feet feel the soft fibres beneath them.

"He will be here in a few minutes." Madara says with a sigh. "His name is Leon Holland. His brother is the current head of their family, and a former client of mine. Sir Leon has come to see if he wishes to breed with you."

"I thought as much." I mutter, swallowing the large lump in my throat.

"Try to be nice and polite please." He says and I frown at him. He smiles. "You have a fiery temper when you want to."

I glare at him for a moment, and then nod. There is no use making any more enemies then I already have. He nods and leaves with Matsuri close behind. After the door shuts I reposition myself. I sit up straight and let my legs fall over the side with my feet resting atop the floor. I place my hands in my lap and strain my ears beyond the room.

A moment of silence passes before I hear Madara talking to a masculine voice outside of the door. I take deep breathes and close my eyes. The door opens and I look up as Madara walks in along with another man who must be this Leon person.

He is tall, probably the tallest person I have ever seen. 6 foot 7 at least by my guessing. He is broad and muscular in build, he would make a god rugby player. He has a long mane of blond hair and golden eyes almost as bright as his hair. I glance at Madara who mouths the word "lion" at me.

That's why he is so nervous. Lions and leopards are enemies in the wild. In a one on one fight purely on strength alone, this man would easily overpower Madara and beat him to a pulp. If I had enough energy or patients, I might have smirked. But the prospect looming over me weighs down, and my face remains neutral.

"Nicola," Madara says, walking over to stand next to me. "This is Sir Leon Holland, the person I was telling you about."

"It's nice to meet you." He says, giving me a bow. "I have heard quite a bit about you from your Madara."

"Nice to meet you." I say, the words taste foreign and come out in a monotone way.

"Well please make yourself comfortable." Madara says and then offers Leon a drink or food which he declines. "Well I shall leave the two of you to yourselves for now."

Madara then walks to the door and opens it. He pauses and gives me a look which I fail to read before closing it behind him. Suddenly I become ever aware of just how much stronger the person in this room is compared to me. I watch him as he takes a seat over the other side of the coffee table in one of the armchairs.

"So," he starts, shifting uncomfortably in the heavy silence. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"Yes." I say, once again sounding very indifferent.

"Well, how about we get to know each other a bit." He says smiling at me and relaxing back. The dreaded subject finally out in the open. "So how about we get to know each other a little more then?"

"Okay." I respond.

"Well, how old are you if you don't mind me asking?" he politely asks.

"Seventeen." I state and he blinks a bit.

"You are really that young?" he asks and I nod. "You're so young." He blinks in shock and looks down at the floor. "Just a child." He looks back up at me. "I am truly sorry."

I study his expression for a moment. This man does seem genuinely sympathetic to my circumstances. What should I do? Well he doesn't seem like a bad person. I try to smile, but find that I can't muster up the energy to do so.

"But, I am sure you know what you are getting into don't you young lady?" he asks in a self-reassuring way and I nod. "Then let's move past that. Well I am twenty-nine years old."

"Why don't you find a wife?" I ask.

He blinks. I mentally slap myself. I must honestly have a wish to be tortured even more. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You know who he is and even know what he is. He could crush me and yet my brain decided to ask that question of all of those that could have been asked? This place is really getting to my head.

"She died." He says smiling sadly and looking down at his hands in his lap. "Last year. She always wanted a baby. She said that I would make a great farther."

"I'm sorry." I say, and this time a hint of pity can be heard in my voice.

"Well I am sure you have lost a lot more than me considering your current circumstances correct?" he says looking up at me.

"Yes." I say and the faces of my friends and family rush through my head. "More than I can admit to."

There is a moment of silence. As I look at him I can practically see his long lost wife in his eyes as he remembers her being alive. I then find myself imaging Gaara's face as he smirks at me and teases me for doing something wrong. Or when he shares a look with me when Kabuto and Orochimaru are having one of their civil disputes. Why must he always come into my thoughts at the most inappropriate of times? I mentally shake my head to clear his image from my mind.

"Well how about we go through some more simple things." He suggests, breaking the awkward silence. "What is your favourite colour?"

"Blue." I reply automatically.

"Well that doesn't surprise me." He says smiling kindly. "Mine happens to be yellow. A bit dorky I know."

"I don't think so." I say, this conversation seems much safer than the last so I may as well keep it going. "One of my male friend's favourite colour has been orange ever since he was little."

"Really?" he says chuckling. "Well that makes me feel a little bit better I suppose."

"Is there any particular reason it is your favourite colour?" I ask.

"Because it is so bright and happy!" he says cheerfully. Looks like he thinks I'm warming up to him since I asked a question. "Why is blue your favourite colour?"

I blink. I had never really considered it before. Well it is the colour of the sky which is rarely seen in England past all the grey clouds. It is the colour of the sea and I like swimming. Could there be a deeper reason? Well, it is also the colour of the night sky, the shade that everything seems to take at night when the moon shines it's soft glow on it. The moon. That's why.

"It is the same as the glow of the moon." I say.

"Is it?" he says frowning. "I thought the moon glowed white."

"Not that." I say shaking my head. "It is the glow of the moon that turns everything blue at night."

"Humm." He says, putting his hand to his chin and stroking the slight stubble adorning his jawline in a thoughtful manner. "Yes, I suppose that does happen. I never even realised it before."

"Most don't." I state.

"You really are quite the wondrous creature." He says smiling at me a way a lion does a gazelle. Suddenly the atmosphere has become quite deadly.

I straighten slightly and slip my expression back into a neutral one. He keeps his eyes locked with me, that predatory grin still slapped across his face. If he were to jump me now…. My body aches all over and my limbs feel like lead. I wouldn't be able to fight back, I wouldn't be able to dodge him, and I might not even be able to muster a scream. How pathetic.

A knock at the door breaks the atmosphere as Madara walks in with a small smile on his face. I have the sudden urge to hug him, and probably would have done if I had the strength in my arms and legs. It might be because at that moment he looked like the way Sasuke does when he walks in on an awkward situation. Menacing, yet pretends to be oblivious of the danger in the air.

"Do excuse the interruption but there is a call for you Mr Holland." The Uchiha says gesturing to the door.

The lion kisses his teeth in irritation and stands.

"Very well," he then turns to me and smiles. "I shall only be a moment my dear."

Madara holds the door open for him as he leaves. There is a moment of tension as the two men lock eyes. Leon backs down and walks toward the faint sound of a phone ringing coming from down the corridor. Madara then shuts the door and lets out a long sigh. Then he turns to me.

"I hope he wasn't to over-bearing." He says and I shake my head.

He smiles at the obvious lie and walks over to me. He sits next to me on the two seat sofa and puts a reassuring hand on my clenched ones. He is warm, or maybe it is because I am cold. Whatever. Anyone would be better company at the moment.

"He will have to leave shortly." He says. "But it seems you have given him quite the impression."

Just then the door opens, not even knocking and Leon enters. We both turn to look at him. He seems stunned at first, then glances at our hands and the aura around him turns deadly. He walks over to the sofa and towers above us both. The grip on my hands tightens and I look at Madara's face. He is sweating and all the hairs on the back of his neck are standing on end. He is shaking with fear and yet still trying to be brave. In this moment, I find myself respecting him more than I ever did as a teacher.

"Madara, it appears that maybe you are something more to the women to bear my son than you first told me." He says snarling.

Madara then stands and releases his hands from mine. The lion and leopard glair at one another for a moment. Somehow I find the energy and stand on my own to feet. Both pairs of feline eyes snap to me in slight shock as I wobble. I reach my hand out and steady myself on Madara's shoulder.

"Woman. Son." I say chuckling and feeling very light headed. What is the worst that could happen? To hell with it. "What kind of sick fucker comes looking for breeding stock in the 21st century." I smirk.

"You little bitch." He says, turning his cold eyes on me. "How dare you insult me like that."

I laugh hysterically, beaming from ear to ear. My life was over the moment I was captured. It seems I am a bit late in realising this. In truth, I have been dead for months. So there is no point in playing these games when I have already won, or lost. However you wish to see it.

Who is he to choose how I live my life, pitiful it may be. he has no right, none what so ever! He even dares claim he would make a good farther? Hah! I scoff at his parental care. Just an animal wishing to procreate with whatever is the most available and easy to obtain. I refuse to be breeding stock! This man has only known me half an hour and already gets so angry over Madara, my captor and carer merely holding my hand? The stupid fool.

"Bitch? Oh how very proper." I chuckle. "Unless your nose is off you would sniff that I'm no mutt, nor would someone with such a big stick up his ass which to mate with one. And as for woman, hah! I'm still just a girl, a little girl whom you want to give you a little boy. This whole world is a load of bullshit, and you are no exception."

Both men stare in shock as my sanity goes spiralling out the metaphorical window. The anger fades and Leon simply mutters that he will call Madara later and leaves. As soon as the door is shut I fall back onto the sofa, still giggling hysterically.

"What?" Madara says shaking his head.

I try to stop laughing but then go into a fit of coughing instead. I feel the warm stickle of blood slide down the hand that overs my mouth. It seems manners just seem to come naturally even at times like this. My throat burns and my hearing starts to fade.

Madara is shouting and the nameless people appear. One of them lifts me up and I feel the breeze on my face as I am swept down the corridor. I can make out Matsuri who is shouting orders just like Madara is. Then I am on a bet and a drip is in my arm almost as soon as I sink into the quilt.

I try to stop coughing but I just can't seem stomach rolls and I lurch over the side of the bed and vomit into the awaiting bowl. My insides burn and all I can smell and taste is acid. I guess I overdid it just a little bit, but that was fun. I liked shouting and making fun of that stuck up bastard. So I guess if this is the price, I got a really good deal out of it.

Eventually the coughing stops and I let my breathing become regular again. I still cannot hear properly and my vision is a bit blurry. But th pain is just a dull ache now. I smile and close my eyes, blocking out the world of white, doctors, rape and shifters in favour of the sweet darkness.

A face is there and I am getting more used to my feelings towards him. He smiles at me, I can make out what he is asking me. Am I okay? Not really. In reality I am really doing shit. But he is here, with me. So I am more than okay, I am fantastic! As long as I remember him, his face, I can do anything.

Gaara. Sorry I haven't told you. But I really like you. No, I love you I think.

Goodnight.

And I drift into the abyss of dreamless sleep away from the nightmare of my reality.

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><p><strong>Okay I have had exams so that is why it has been so long for me to write this chapter.<strong>

**The next one should be a real doosey!**

**I would love some more plot suggestions from anyone who cares to tell me. I am running short on them at the moment I regretfully admit... :( sad times.**

**Well till we meet again! *bows***

**Oh! And dont regret to review! All comments welcome! **


	6. The Next Phase

**Chapter 6: The Next Phase**

I spent the next week fading in and out of consciousness being unable to move. Flashes of white and muttering of voices where the only sensory stimulus I would obtain before I was swept back into the numb abyss of sleep.

After that week was up, I managed to become fully aware of what was going on around me. It was mainly just the beeping of the machines that I was wired up to and an occasional visit from Matsuri that I had to deal with. I had not seen Madara since that day with the man who wanted me to have his child. I forget his name. I will never have any use of it anyway.

It has been a month now since that day; at least that is what Matsuri said this morning when I asked her. Apparently he has been very busy dealing with one of his other 'projects'. When I inquired further she brushed it off and said she wasn't sure on the details. This worries me. Could it have something to do with Gaara? Could it be my family or someone I know?

Not that I could do much in the state I am in right now. I am still really weak from the experiment and can just about walk around without help. I still look like a skeleton, but my veins don't stick out as violently now. So I am getting better. However the drawback of my recovery means that the chains are now back on my wrists and ankles.

I sigh to myself as I listen to the familiar clicking of Matsuri's heals coming towards the door. I relax and concentrate on the sound, then frown when I locate a second pair of steps with hers. They are deeper in pitch, but quitter which leads me to think it must be a man she is with. They sound somewhat familiar.

The door then opens and I look up to see Matsuri walk in smiling at me with Madara following soon after. He looks paler than last time I saw him, and he seems to have gotten thinner. I guess this other 'project' of his must be very demanding on him. But I wonder why he has suddenly shown up now?

"Hello Nicola." He says, shutting the door and walking to the side of my bed. He picks up my chart sheets and flicks through them as he does so. "How are you doing? You look better."

"Yes I'm better." I say then smirk at him. "I cannot say the same about you though."

He glances up at me from the sheets of paper then sighs, turning his gaze back to my charts. He then places them on the counter behind him and moves out of the way as Matsuri steps round him to take my blood pressure. He rubs the bridge of his nose and lets out a heavier sigh, as if he had to cope with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Unfortunately I have been kept preoccupied with a project that is rather demanding." He says as Matsuri moves around to the other side of the bed.

"So what do I owe the honour of your presence to?" I ask sarcastically, my smirk fading into the neutral expression that seems to be an almost permanent fixture on my face.

"This other project of mine is moving faster than I would have liked under the circumstances." He says, glancing at my collarbone which still juts out of my skin. He them returns his eyes to meet my own. "And there is only so long I can delay moving onto the next phase."

"Next phase?" I repeat questioningly.

"Yes," he says and pauses. "and it seems that I am running out of time." He then turns to Matsuri. "How soon will she be well enough to walk properly on her own?" he demands.

She bites her lip and squirms under his serious gaze. Damn. I just knew it. Why does every one of this guy's messed up experiments have to involve me in some time? Really, he needs to find someone else to share all his psychotic urges with. Or better yet, resist them all together.

"Three days." Matsuri finally says staring at her shoes. "I will start rigorous physiotherapy with her immediately."

"Good." Madara says, nodding in approval. "It will work, but it is cutting it close."

"What is this about?" I say, an undertone of annoyance in my voice.

"You will find out." He says with a smirk.

I just glair at him, knowing that I won't be getting any answers out of him. He says his goodbyes before leaving though the door. For a few moments after he leave I continue to glare at the door he left through. Then the annoying and pain are amplified as Matsuri smiles at me. I will kill Madara, I really will.

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><p>The next three days were filled with therapy. I was made to go through an Olympic style training raceme. Needless to say it hurt, especially since my body was still stick thin and weak. My muscles ache all over and my annoyance only grows with everything I am forced to do just for the sake of Madara's precious little projects.<p>

Finally, three days pass by. I am able to walk on my own now, all be it at snail's pace. My ribs no longer stick out at odd angles but I am still way lighter than I used to be. I still hurt all over, but time waits for no one.

That morning was as it had been for the past three days and by lunch time I was wondering what was going on. Wasn't this 'Next phase' supposed to start today? Matsuri collected my empty soup bow and brought it over to the sink in the corner and began washing it. I watched her from my seat, propped up on some pillows on bed a frowned at the normalcy that I felt at the situation. It was strange; I really need to escape from here somehow.

Then I heard the steps coming down the hallway and my frown dissipated and a sigh escaped my lips. Matsuri finished her washing up and turned round just as the door opened and Madara strode in with a nervous smile on his lips.

"Well then, todays the day." He chirped in mock joy. "How are you feeling this morning then Nicola?"

He walked over to my bed and sat down on the chair next to it. Meanwhile Matsuri started flitting about the room with needles, tubed and the like. Looks like I'm in for another round of blood donation before whatever this next phases starts.

"Alright." I say as Maturi starts prepping a vein to draw blood from.

"Well according to your vitals," Madara responds as he flips through my charts. "You seem to be doing a lot better. How is the therapy?"

"Fine." I say with a blank face. "I can walk"

"Ah! Good. Good." He says nodding to himself.

Matsuri now places the needle into my vein and I don't even flinch. I seem to have gotten used to needles, although I'm still not fond of all the black and purple bruises which are scattered across both my arms. My nurse takes several vials with various labels on them before slipping the needle out, then plastering me up.

"So," I say once Matsuri is finished and putting my blood vials away. "What is the 'next phase' of yours?"

"Well," he says smirking. "You will be moves to a far more secured room where the phase will take place. It will be fun."

I shoot him the beast glare I can manage, but his smirk increases at seeing my pathetic attempt. He then instructs Matsuri to put the chains back on me and I groan internally as the coals metal is clamped to my thin wrists.

Then she helps me out of my bed to stand. I am a little wobbly but I manage to stay up-right. She guides my hands, placing both on her shoulder to keep me balanced as we walk. Madara leads us deeper into the compound by the looks of things. White walls are replaced with bare rock and the air becomes distinctly colder.

I recall the creatures I passed on my way up from my cell, but we only pass steal door without windows along our way, so I am not being taken back to my old cell. After fifteen minutes of wondering around in the dark tunnels we come to a steal door. Madara produces his keys and unlocks it.

Matsuri is pale looking as she takes my hands and places them on Madara's shoulder for him to guide me. He nods at her and she steps back, giving me a guilty and worried look before the door is shut behind me and the mad scientist.

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><p><strong>Okay just a WARNING the next part of this chapter is rated M. <strong>

**So if you dont want to read some graphic gore/sexual content please just skip to the end. You will be able to tell what has gone on.**

**You have been worned.**

**That is all.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It is pitch black in here, but the shifter I am holding onto can see and guides me through the darkness of the room. We make no sound but the rustling of our clothes and our shoes tapping as we walk. After a few steps my leg bumps into something soft.<p>

Madara places his hands on both my shoulders and turns me carefully before applying pressure to force me to sit down. I bounce a bit on the softness beneath me and presume I am sitting on a bed. Madara then pressed down on my shoulder so that I am lying down and my bare feet automatically pull themselves up onto the bed as I am forced onto my back.

I swallow thickly as he grasps the chain connecting my two hands and pulls it up above my head. There is a jingling sound then a click and I am released. I hold my breath as the weight of my arms is suspended by my chains which attach to the bed.

I hear rustling and footsteps then as Madara walks away from me leaving me in the dark once again. A light suddenly binds me and I blink to see Madaras shadow in the doorway. I give him my hardest glare, even though his back is turned to me. He reaches out and there is a click as a torch is lit above my bed. Then the door is shut, locked and I am alone.

The flame's light comes from the wall next to me which the bed is pressed up against. I look up to see a pair of handcuffs linked to my chain and the other cuff to the headboard of the bed. I glance around the plane stone walls to see there is nothing else in the cell, from what I can see. But the shadows seem to dance sinister light, making me nervous.

Silence is all that greats me.

After what seems like forever, but which could only have been an hour at the most, I hear voices coming from outside of the door. I concentrate on them and I only recognise Madara's over the jingling of locks. Then I am blinded by the light of the door, there is a shout, a thump, chains clicking and then darkness once more.

I blink in confusion, my heart hammering against my ribs cage as if it wishes to break out. It seems something has been thrown into my cell. I look into the shadows where I presume it fell. As the blood stops roaring in my ears the sound of panting from whatever else is in my room greats me.

I lay frozen stiff and try not to let the panic fluttering around in the back of my mind take hold of me. I still my breathing and quieten my heart so I can listen out for any movement around me. After a few moments a rustling sound echoes through the darkness accompanied by the clanking of chains.

I strain my eyes but after a while I am able to make out a hunched figure on the floor of the cell, cast in the shadows of the torch light. There is a growling noise which is so deep it makes my own chest vibrate along with it and I feel my breath hitch in my throat as a pain of golden eyes lock with my own.

A sense of relief if the first wave to hit me, but it doesn't last long as I am immediately drowned in an overpowering feeling of dread. I can feel my body screaming at me to run, but those eyes keep me pinned to the spot. And for the first time in what seems like forever I feel the most awful emotion of them all crash upon me. Fear.

The last time I saw those golden eyes I had no idea who, or what owned them. However, since I started living with their owner I haven't seen a flicker of those golden pools with pupils silted like those of a cat. The last time I saw them they were out for blood, filled with rage. But these eyes are clouded over with something unnatural.

_He's been drugged!_

The horror of that fact only makes the situation seem even worse. But as I stare I notice that there is something animalistic in the way it is locked with mine. Hungry and impatient. But beneath the haze I can see him mirroring my fear.

He is scared.

This fact panics me far more than anything else. Whatever drug there using on him is making him loose control of himself. What this means for me, I'm not sure as of yet. But whatever it is, it most likely won't be very pleasant.

Then he moves. It is so quick that I barely have time to gasp before I can feel sharp claws digging into my head as he yanks it up to expose my throat. I can't see his face from the painfully sharp angle he is tilting my head back to, but I can feel his body heat radiating above me from his crouched position.

I concentrate on breathing normally and force myself to hold still as I wait. His face presses against the crook of my neck and I can feel him shake, with anticipation or restraint I don't know. I would hope for the latter. But not a second later I feel something wet and warm sliding over my throat and my pulse jumps under his touch. Then there is a slight pause in his movements.

But then comes the pain.

All those books and movies about vampire bites being pleasurable should be burnt and the creators sent to rot in hell.

I think I black out for a few seconds when his fangs initially tear through my skin. But then I'm awake again. My mouth is bone dry and scratchy. It takes me a moment to realise it's because I am screaming. My own voice is muffled in my head as my ears hone in on the sounds of growling and swallowing.

My chest is tight and heaving as I try to pull as much oxygen into my lungs. The screaming I did didn't help s my breath keeps on catching in my dry trachea resulting in my having to breathe faster. I sound like I'm hyperventilating. Perhaps I am, I feel light-headed enough.

My throat burns with his teeth still imbedded in it and my body is now starting to become cold. But then something happens which I did not expect.

The pain intensifies for a moment as I feel the teeth retract from my neck and the warm tongue is back lapping up the blood which spills from it. He makes a content low purring sound in his chest which hovers just above my own. The claws on my head release me and my head rolls back to a more comfortable position with some pops and cracks of relief.

But only for a moment because then my eyes lock with his once more. They remain the same. Still hungry. And the panic is back. A shot of adrenaline surges through me and for the first time since I was first brought here I fight.

My body thrashes, my wrists violently pulling on my shackles and my torso twists and turns trying to throw him off. I bring my knees up to my chest and kick out repeatedly, landing hits hear and there. Never before have I wanted to run away so badly in my life.

There is a sickening snarl then the claws are back on me. One slams into my chest, sinking into my colour bone with enough force for it to shatter. My chest bleeds as those nails sink into my flesh and they pull more as I continue to struggle.

The other hand is on my hip, which crunches under the force. He then grasps my thigh with brusing force and pulls it aside, positioning himself between my legs. Then that same claw is on my abdomen and digs in deep ripping another howl of a scream from my throat.

But I don't stop.

The adrenaline pulsing through me numbs the pain ad pushes my body onward, striving for escape. My heart sounds more like a hummingbird in my ears as it tries to supply my whole body with enough oxygenated blood to keep my deteriorating muscles moving.

Not once does it occur to me to stop. Not even as I feel my wrists break from the force I'm putting on them. Nor when his claws tear down my torso. Shredding my flesh and ridding me of my clothes. Not that at this point in time I care much for them. All I want is for the pain to stop. To get away. Far away.

I feel the blood spilling out from multiple cuts along my body and my vision is going. I have my eyes squeezed shut, I dare not look down on the damage being done to me. It hurts, but not as much a I know it should. Whatever being that came up with this blissful hormone called adrenaline I could kiss you right now. Or maybe later if I live through this.

I hear the rustle of cloth through my own sounds of thrashing before both clawed hands are forcing my legs open. The skin on my legs tears in my last efforts to get away. Looking on my situation for a different perspective I shouldn't have bothered. I should have saved my strength, but I don't think anyone thinks during these kind of circumstances.

Then comes the pain.

The worst I have ever felt. The only way to explain it would be like a tsunami crashing through my body from hips outwards. But it doesn't stop there. It keeps crashing. Over. And over. And over. And over.

A never-ending torrent of pain.

The blood loss finally seems to start taking effect as my mind starts to slip away from my body. It feels like the time I almost died, only much, much worse.

For a moment I float above my body and am shocked by the amount of disfigurement done to me. But it is only for a second and then I'm gone. Into a sea of blackness.

Hopefully this time I won't wake up.

But luck never seems to be on my side these days. I wonder if Madara had planned for this to happen. I assume so, but I'm still not sure even he knew the toll it would take on my body. Was it really a risk worth taking?

In all honesty, I'm still not entirely sure of his true motivations. Now that I think of it, perhaps I should have enquired more into what Kabuto and Orochimaru knew about him. I was pretty stupid not to. Now I probably won't see them again. Or the rest of my family for that matter.

I just wish I would have died months ago.

Then I wouldn't be constantly dancing with death. I wouldn't be going mad with the pain and loneliness consuming my heart. I wouldn't have been experimented on. I wouldn't have had to adapt to getting along with my captures.

I would have dies without ever knowing what it's like to be betrayed in the most cold-hearted and brutal way by the person you love.

All I can hope for is that this time round Madara wakes me up after I am mostly recovered from my wounds. Then I can stab him with a needle or something.

I'm tired of being a corpse.

Meeting Gaara again may have been the worst experience anyone could dread of, but it was the most alive I have felt in months! It sound creepy, and I would never wish it upon my worst enemy.

But in the end, feeling pain means we are alive.

Now I sort of understand why some people self-harm. Not because they get off on pain, but to escape from the numbness of being the living dead.

So I can wait. If I don't die before I wake.

Madara, you're in for a bloody surprise.

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><p><strong>Okay this is my first attempt at this kind of thing. <strong>

**So for those who read it would you please give me some feedback? Anything at all would be helpful :3**

**Also I'm sorry for not updating sooner. Hopefully with this scene off my back things can start moving again XD**

**Thanks for reading and dont forget to review please!**

**Cookies for all those that do! **


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